CIDSE at COP24 in Katowice, Poland – CIDSE
© 350.org

CIDSE at COP24 in Katowice, Poland

© 350.org

Discover CIDSE’s activities and positions at the climate change conference this year

COP 24: what, when where?

This year’s Conference of Parties (COP 24) will take place in Katowice, Poland, from 2-14 December. The conference will be of crucial importance as it is expected to finalise the rules for implementing the Paris Agreement, named the Paris Agreement Work Programme. In September the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) sent an alarming message with the release of its Special Report on 1.5°C, strongly highlighting that every degree of warming matters and that they can have irreversible consequences especially on the most vulnerable communities. Overall, countries at COP 24 must according to CIDSE:

  • Agree on a robust, fair and cohesive set of implementation guidelines to solidify the Paris regime and a roadmap to finalize outstanding issues;
  • Step up and commit to enhancing their NDCs (climate plans for GHG emissions reductions) by 2020 in line with climate science;
  • Reaffirm their climate finance commitments, agree to robust accounting standards and concrete ways to enhance predictability of funds from the contributor countries to developing ones.

Beyond the negotiations, the COP also represents every year a key moment in the global debate on climate justice; however, civil society had to deal with limited space dedicated to its activities. In Katowice many actors will gather for the Climate march organised on Saturday 8th December and around the NGO Climate Hub. CIDSE has endorsed the Peoples’ Demands for COP24 to support the calls for climate justice coming in particular from the Global South.

CIDSE’s delegation

CIDSE will be present in Katowice with a delegation from member organisations, including Broederlijk Delen/Belgium, CAFOD/England & Wales, Cordaid/The Netherlands, CCFD-Terre Solidaire/France, Entraide et Fraternite/Belgium, FEC/Portugal, FOCSIV/Italy, Fastenopfer/Switzerland, KOO/Austria, Manos Unidas/ Spain, Misereor/Germany, SCIAF/Scotland, Trócaire/Ireland. Likewise, CIDSE will be working closely with partners and allies from around the world.

CIDSE’s focus at COP24

Through its activities, CIDSE will push for an ambitious goal and answer to the 1.5°C IPCC report. Reiterating the messages in the publication “The Climate Urgency: Setting Sail for a New Paradigm” CIDSE affirms that a paradigm shift in our food and energy systems – supported by structural lifestyle and societal changes – could greatly contribute to limit rise in average global temperature to 1.5°C without relying on risky and unproven Negative Emissions Technologies or geoengineering.

For other references, see the CAN Policy brief for COP 24, the Bishops’ statement on climate ahead of COP 24 (October 2018), the CIDSE Directors’ statement responding to the IPCC report (October 2018), CIDSE submission to the Talanoa Dialogue (April 2018), the CIDSE paper “Climate Action for the Common Good” (November 2017).

CIDSE will promote agroecology and sustainable food systems within the UNFCCC discussions. See The CIDSE Principles of Agroecology (April 2018), the CAN Agriculture submission to the Koronivia Joint Work on Agriculture (October 2018) and the report Missing Pathways to 1.5°C 1.5°C by the Climate Land Ambition and Rights Alliance (CLARA).

We will also promote renewable energy systems (RES) and access to energy for all: see the paper on “EU support for energy in developing countries” (CIDSE & ODI, October 2018) and the CIDSE briefing on RES (October 2017). 

We will at the same time promote a radical shift towards sustainable lifestyles mainly through the presence of our campaign “Change for the Planet – Care for the People”.

CIDSE’s activities in Katowice

From 6-10 December a delegation of 100 young volunteers will gather in Katowice for an “Agora” organised by the campaign “Change for the Planet – Care for the People” by CIDSE on sustainable lifestyles. These days together will be an opportunity for participants to get more familiar with the COP process, renew their commitment for climate justice and sustainable living and connecting with the local reality. Volunteers will become ambassadors for change once they will be back in their communities. See the programme attached for further details.

With its delegation of policy experts, CIDSE will follow the COP negotiations and carry out advocacy activities during the whole length of the COP24.

Some of the key events by CIDSE and allies are:

Sunday 2nd December, 17.00-19.00, św. Szczepana (St. Stephen’s) Church, ks. Markiefki 89 Street, 40-211 Katowice, “COP24 Informal Interfaith Gathering in the Spirit of Talanoa Dialogue”. See the flyer attached for further information.

Thursday 6th December, 11.30-13.00, COP 24 International Conference Centre (MCK) (accreditation badge necessary): official side event “Missing Pathways to Paris: Land, Equity and Systemic Change”, co-organised with FERN, University of Uppsala, IATP, College of the Atlantic. This event will be livestreamed.

Friday 7th december (Misereor), 17:30-19:00, German Pavillon,COP 24 International Conference Centre (MCK) (accreditation badge necessary): “Human-rights Based Implementation of Urban Climate Policies”.

Friday 7th December, 18.00- 20.30, Kino Kosmos Cinema, Sokolska 66, 40-087, Katowice: premiere of the documentary “Energy to Change” featuring stories of people shifting to sustainable energy use. The event includes a screening, debate and refreshments. See the flyer attached for further information. 

Saturday 8th December, 12.00, Katowice, plac Wolności, participation to the Climate March.

Saturday 8th of December (Misereor), 13.55-14.45, Room Wisla, COP 24 International Conference Centre (MCK) (accreditation badge necessary): official side event: “Human-rights based implementation of climate policies”.

Sunday 9th December, 10.00-17.30, Cathedral of Katowice/ Uniwersytet Śląskl: event “Towards an ecological conversion for the people and the planet”. To manifest their engagement for climate the Archdiocese of Katowice, Caritas Internationalis, Caritas Poland, CIDSE, the Global Catholic Climate Movement and Franciscans International are organising a joint day of reflection, celebration and commitment renewal. Young volunteers and representatives from the organisations involved will come together, share their experiences and pray. See the flyer attached for further details.

Monday 10th December (Thematic Social Forum), 08.00 – 10.00, 10 December 2018, Ewangelickie Centrum Diakonijne “Słoneczna Kraina” Jerzego Dudy-Gracza 6, 40-008 Katowice: A report back from the Thematic Social Forum on Mining and Extractive Economy on the occasion of the Human Rights Day and the 70th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. See the flyer attached for further details.

Monday 10th December (Misereor), 10.45-11.45, EU-Pavilion, COP 24 International Conference Centre (MCK) (accreditation badge necessary): “Human Rights and Climate Change in Urban Areas”

Thursday 13th December, 15.00- 16.30, Side event room Wisla, COP 24 International Conference Centre (MCK) (accreditation badge necessary): “After Paris: Inequality, Fair Shares and the climate emergency. A civil-society and equity-based assessment of the NDCs”. See the flyer attached for further details.

Friday 14th December (Misereor and Project 90), 13.00-15.00, Climate Hub, “Towards a Life after Coal: Signposts for a Sustainable Energy System”

You can follow CIDSE’s activities and get in touch with us on Twitter and Facebook.

Energy_to_change_screening_Katowice_7_Dec_EN.jpg
Ecological_conversion_9_Dec.pdf
Final_flyer_Interfaith_Dialogue_2_Dec_English.pdf
Missing_pathways_6th_Dec.pdf
Misereor_and_Project_90_Climate_Hub_Event.pdf
Thematic_Social_Forum_11_Dec.jpg
Equity_review_13_Dec.jpg

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