The Sustainable Development Goals seem to have made a lot more progress than we have in the UNFCCC. Since their conception in 2012, they have forged ahead with monthly discussions and a plan to begin implementation early in 2016.
However, climate change has been one of the most contentiously difficult issues to discuss. As the UNFCCC continues to forge ahead with the negotiations on the global deal for 2015, there are many within the SDG process who feel that we cannot continue negotiating goals for climate action in both processes. Some are even worried that the toxicity of the UNFCCC might spill into the SDG’s.
In fact, there are some who believe that the only reason why Climate Change has stayed on the agenda in the SDG’s is thanks to the passionate facilitation of the two Co-chairs who have pushed to make sure that it still lives in the UN-SDG’s.
But they are not alone. Bangladesh, Benin, Guatemala, Paraguay, Mexico, Peru, Costa Rica, the Caribbean and Pacific small island states have all recently argued for Climate Change to stay on the SDG’s agenda.
However, they are fiercely challenged by a number of key states who oppose. This includes China, India, Brazil, Japan, Colombia, Bolivia, the MENA states, Pakistan and Bolivia.
The large majority of countries are unsure how to progress, and seem to sit somewhere in the middle. Should we have a stand-alone sustainable goal, or ensure it is mainstreamed throughout? I guess it’s a pretty reasonable question.
On top of this, there is a serious concern among many developing countries that the SDG process is undermining the notion of Common But Differentiated Responsibilities, that is so key in the UNFCCC.
This was highlighted this week in a side event organised by the South Centre where Yeb Sano recently noted that “the concept of CBDR, both here and in the SDG’s is being seriously threatened”. He also noted that in regards to the provision of finance and in implementation “there is very little clarity”. This he believe leaves the negotiations open to the possibility that CBDR could become “a cliche”.
This was also a key concern of Mariama Williams from South Centre, who noted that “in Jamaica, the acceleration of Climate Change has had a tremendous impact on us, and the support that we need serious clarity on the nature of the financing that will come leading to 2020 and beyond to help us deal with this crisis.” She further noted that “we are finding the same roadblocks in the SDG’s as we have seen in the UNFCCC over equity and CBDR.”
To gain some clarity for myself, I sat down with Bernadette Fischer, WW UK’s expert on the SDG’s and one of the young and vibrant minds in the UNFCCC process to find out some more about them, and their relationship with the UNFCCC.
What can the SDG’s do for climate change?
“The SDG’s are going to happen! and they cover a lot of relevant sectors that have a big influence on climate, like energy. There will be a goal on Energy and it will be based on sustainable Energy for All Goals. Agriculture, Food Security, Water, Ecosystems will all be covered in the SDG’s and they might even include a goal on sustainable production and consumption and possibly even a stand-alone goal on Climate Change.”
How will these goals be delivered?
“We need to keep an eye on how these goals might be delivered. When it comes to adaptation on the national level, the development strategies that are supposed to be implemented are supposed to cover development and adaptation holistically.
In Implementation, the SDG’s are going to begin in 2016, so anything to do with pre-2020 commitments, the SDG’s could be a great avenue to deliver on these goals.”
Are they really two separate processes?
“Yes, they are two separate processes, but it is good to coordinate and deliver on both. The key issue is the timing aspect. They are both due to be delivered in the end of 2015. There is a huge head’s of state summit in September 2015 in New York that will decide the SDG’s. Then only 6 or 7 weeks later, there will be the Paris COP.
Obviously if heads of state come together and say, “look we are really convinced that climate change is relevant in the future of development, and just wait for what we will do in Paris”, then it could become a cheer-leading moment for Paris.
If the SDG’s are delivered without any reference to Climate Change, that might not be such a good mood setter.
If there is an inspirational list of development goals for the next 15 years and Climate Change is not on it, then that would be quite disastrous.”
How will they be financed?
“This is another critical need, they are both looking at the same pots, and it could go horribly wrong if there is not well-thought through coordination on how the money will be fairly shared around.”
In the Millenium Development Goals, there was 1 main goal to Ensure Environmental Sustainability. Within that goal, there were only 2 stand-alone targets relating to environmental protection. They were related to biodiversity loss and a general principle to integrate sustainable development as a means of ensuring against environmental losses.
Also included in Target 7 on Environmental Sustainability were measures to ensure greater access to safe drinking water and improve the lives of the world’s slum dwellers. These are critically important goals, but as a collective, they lack the conceptual diversity needed to address the world’s key environmental crises.They also lack any specific, concrete targets to monitor and measure against. These targets proved critical in the MDG’s on issues such as maternal and child mortality rates.
Under the original the new Sustainable Development Goals, it will be critical that Climate Change can be addressed in a manner that ensures environmental sustainability and builds on the agreements made within the UNFCCC.
However, if Miama and Yeb are right, and the concept of equity is and CBDR is not mainstreamed within the SDG’s, then it will be a very difficult fit for many developing nations moving forward into the post-2015 era.