Established in 1964 by 77 developing countries, including India, the G77 is the largest negotiating bloc of the developing countries. It now has a membership of 134 countries.

Here are the edited excerpts from Ambassador Pedroso’s interview:

Loss And Damage Fund, Global Stocktake Are Key Wins

COP28 concluded with a number of expected outcomes. The decision on the operationalisation of the loss and damage fund was adopted on the very first day. This was a very important decision and we will wait to see the resources for implementation. A number of parties made pledges to the loss and damage fund, which will have to be contrasted with reality.

The other important outcome was Global Stocktake (GST). This was the longest and most complex negotiation. There was a push by many developed countries to have specific language on phasing-out or phasing-down of fossil fuels without any kind of context.

The final outcome demonstrated that developing countries managed to put some perspective - a clear affirmation of the principles of the Convention [UNFCCC] on equity and common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities.

These principles are captured throughout the text of the GST decision. This was important because there were attempts to unravel the principles and the provisions of the Convention and to make a split between the Convention and the Paris Agreement.

Spotlight On Climate Finance

The provision of finance is the most important binding piece for the rest of the GST package. There is a clear recognition in the GST decision that there are huge gaps in the provision of means of implementation, particularly in terms of climate finance and that developed countries must expeditiously increase the provision of climate finance. So, developing countries managed to save what was most important for us.

Developed countries never met their commitment of providing $100 billion. Developing countries are paying for their own national adaptation plans, they are paying for their renewable energy because new resources are not coming in.

Discussions under the New Collective Quantified Goal will determine the scale of climate finance that is now needed for the Global South. There is enough public money available for climate finance. What is missing is political will. Public money is diverted for war … billions are poured into the arms industry, but there is no political will to channelise public money to where it should go – to developing countries for climate action.

 

Impetus For Adaptation Missing

Another important outcome was the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA). It was not as ambitious as it ought to be, but it was important that there was a decision on GGA.

Adaptation is among the highest priorities for developing countries but it has been neglected for a long time. Most attention is focussed on mitigation and this imbalance was reflected at COP28 with much of the attention being focused on GST. This is what leaders of African countries emphasised at COP, that there is no impetus for adaptation compared to mitigation.

It was very tough to arrive at a decision on GGA. The final decision still lacks strong language on support for adaptation needs in the Global South.

Developed Country Hypocrisy On Fossil Fuel Phaseout

We need collective action to address climate change. But none of the policies that major historical emitters have in place today, none of the actions they are undertaking right now will lead us to a phase-out of fossil fuels. Many of them are increasing fossil fuel production and export. This is true of the United States. This is true in the North Sea where the U.K. is giving out oil and gas licenses. There is a lot of hypocrisy… Public statements show a political chorus for fossil fuel phase-out but ground realities are very different.

Unilateral Trade Measures Are A Concern

Unilateral trade measures (taxes imposed by certain developed countries on imports of products involving higher carbon emissions) are problematic. It will affect developing economies in many ways. They may be enacted as environmental principles but they are actually protectionist.

In the final decision at COP28, we had to agree to include only the language of the Convention (and not our concerns about such trade measures) because developed countries did not want to discuss the issue of unilateral trade measures. They did not consider the issue as important and did not take it seriously. But the G77 will follow this closely and it will be discussed in 2024.

First Ever G77 Summit Under COP Framework

Under the leadership of Cuba, G77 leaders held their first ever summit under the COP framework. Many leaders from the Global South gathered and it provided a setting for the G77 to come together to convey high-level messages to reflect the group’s views on climate action, poverty eradication, achievement of sustainable development goals, imbalances in the multilateral trading system and unilateral trade measures… on the whole the COP28 agenda.

It had a very positive impact on the negotiating mood of developing countries and helped with coordination among the Global South. COP28 has demonstrated the importance of multilateralism in a world that is today immersed in the most difficult circumstances. It gives us hope and resilience.

(Rishika Pardikar is an independent environment journalist based in Bengaluru. She conducted the interview over telephone on behalf of The Secretariat)