We UCLG Africa Climate Task Force:
1. Express our deep concern over the findings in the IPCC Special Report on Global Warming of 1,5°C (SR1.5), unequivocally confirming, that current Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) are not sufficient to meet the long-term climate goals of the Paris Agreement;
2. The recently published IPBES 7 report also assesses the state of the environment and the Planet from a biodiversity and ecosystem perspective and indicates very clearly that the health and integrity of ecosystems which all life on the planet depend on, is deteriorating more rapidly than ever and this deterioration and the unprecedented pace of species extinction is human-induced. It states that climate action needs to be accelerated in harmony with transformative action to protect and restore nature. We hereby recognize the inextricable linkages between biodiversity and climate change and commit to, and call for urgent climate action in, and for, Africa that will simultaneously end the deterioration of, and restore, our ecosystems and turn around the loss of biodiversity. We are deeply concerned about the loss of biodiversity accelerated by climate change as we recognize the direct impact affect this has on our livelihoods, our culture, health, wellbeing, economy and the sustainability of infrastructure, also along our coastlines;
3. The Paris Agreement invited all Parties to engage in the revision process of the NDCs by 2020 with the first global stock take due to take place in 2023. By then, the multilateral process must be able to conclude that aggregate efforts by Parties and non‐Party stakeholders, including local and other subnational governments, will be on track to
limiting global warming to 1.5°C;
4. The Katowice climate package, has enabled the Climate Taskforce to provide a set of guidelines for the implementation of the Paris Agreement, covering the transparency framework, global balance sheet, NDC accounting, adaptation, financial goals and more. In addition, it endorses the Talanoa Call for Action presented at COP24;
5. It is essential for all African countries to ensure alignment of the NDCs with national development policies, and to ensure the appropriate mobilization of resources, for both national, subnational and local levels of government, allowing for the acceleration of implementation on the ground;
6. We note the resolution taken by the African Committee of Heads of State on Climate Change (CAHOSCC) in its meeting on the 9 February 2019 that encourages the implementation of the NDCs at the local level, and which mentions UCLG Africa among the leading institutions to support the development of “Locally Determined Contributions”
7. The Climate Task Force invites all parties to the Paris agreement to present their progress and ambitions at the UN Climate Summit in 2019 and sees it as an important opportunity to foster the implementation of the Paris Agreement goals;
We reaffirm the following:
1. African subnational and local governments and their networks should from now on be recognized as critical partners to better support national government efforts to enhance the ambition and accelerate the implementation of the NDCs;
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