The main theme of the Bonn Climate Change Conference SB58 will be the technical discussion on Global Stocktaking to which young activists will be contributing.
The Global Stocktake is the process by which countries and stakeholders revise those aspects that they are colectively boosting towards meeting the goals of the Paris Climate Change Agreement, and those that require more effort.
The technical phase of the Global Stocktaking will conclude at the Bonn Conference and will mark the beginning of the political phase that will work towards a solid outcome of this first global stocktaking at COP28.
Young climate change activists will be participating actively
One of the young activists participating in these discussions is Maria Laura Martinez, who also serves as ALLCOT’s Technology-Based Solutions Consultant in the Dominican Republic.
María Laura hopes that “as a prelude to COP28, at SB58 countries will commit to more frequent and accurate reporting of their greenhouse gas emissions and strengthen the capacity building structure for developing countries that require training in this area”.
The Global Stocktaking Report, says Maria Laura “will provide us with a more accurate picture of the current climate reality, as well as the results of the negotiations and the challenges that still lie ahead”.
Maria Laura’s call on the international community
Maria Laura was selected by the Action Climate Empowerment (ACE) team of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to participate in the ACE Dialogue and the ACE Youth Hub Event, with the purpose of acquiring and strengthening new skills in leadership and participation in climate action, both locally, regionally and internationally.
Despite the fact that young people are the first generation to experience lifelong adverse effects of climate change, according to Laura, their positions are still not being heard or fully taken into consideration at these high-level negotiating tables.
For this reason, Laura calls on the international community to work on Article 12 of the Paris Agreement, which aims to strengthen the capacities of developing countries to address climate change through international cooperation and the mobilization of financial, technological and capacity building resources.
In that sense, “it is crucial to create and finance youth training programs in climate negotiations, especially focused on young people from developing countries and islands, such as my country, the Dominican Republic,” says Maria Laura.
A preparatory meeting for decisions to be taken at COP28
The Bonn Climate Change Conference (SB58) takes place from June 5-15 and is a preparatory meeting for decisions to be taken at COP28, which will be held in the United Arab Emirates in December 2023.
The conference also addresses climate finance, in particular financial support for developing countries to combat climate change.
Other important issues addressed will be increasing transparency and accountability of climate action and minimizing the impacts that climate change is having on the agriculture and food security sectors.
