Climate and Clean Air Coalition Talanoa statement calls for fast action on short-lived climate pollutants

Norway’s Minister of Climate & Environment, Hon. Ola Elvestuen, launched the Climate & Clean Air Coalition’s “Talanoa Statement” at the Global Climate Action Summit and called on all countries and other stakeholders to sign onto it by COP 24 in Katowice, Poland this December.

The Statement expresses a commitment to lead global actions that can avoid 0.6 degrees Celsius of temperature increase between now and 2050, through actions to mitigate short-lived climate pollutants, or “super pollutants”.

In line with the call for submissions towards the Talanoa Dialogue that will take place in Poland this December, the Coalition’s Talanoa Statement highlights the need to raise ambition to reach the Paris Agreement 1.5 degree temperature target, and sets out how to achieve the urgent need to reduce the rate of near-term warming through fast cuts in short-lived climate pollutant emissions.

“It is not irrelevant how we reach the Paris temperature targets. To succeed in the long term we need to choose a path that will slow the rate of global warming in the near term,” Minister Elvestuen said. “By reducing both short lived climate pollutants such as methane, black carbon and HFCs and long lived gases like CO₂, we increase our chance of success.”

The statement also recognizes that acting now will also support sustainable development and efforts to eradicate poverty.

The Coalition’s Kenyan Co-Chair, Dr. Alice Kaudia, said solutions exist that are cost-effective, reduce poverty, improve health, and provide immediate local benefits as well as long-term global benefits.

Introducing Minister Elvestuen, Dr. Kaudia said: “Kenya is working to reduce these super pollutants by moving to cleaner household energy, improving our waste management systems, and moving to cleaner fuels and transport. The solutions are ready now, and we are taking them.”

Japan, New Zealand, Norway, the Philippines, Sweden, the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), the United Nations Environment Programme, and the World Resources Institute have already endorsed the statement.

Endorsement is open to all countries and organizations, whether or not they are part of the Climate and Clean Air Coalition. 

The version of the Talanoa Statement as of 15 October 2018 will be submitted as part of the UNFCCC Talanoa Dialogue submission process. 

Notes on endorsement:

• Who can endorse?  The Statement is open for endorsement by all countries and organisations (whether or not partners in the Coalition)
• When can countries/organisations endorse?  At any time, up until 11 December 2018.
• To be listed as an endorser, please notify secretariat [at] ccacoalition.org