Chair of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) joined representatives of the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) on Tuesday at the Bonn Climate Change Conference to express concern over stalled negotiations.
Lead Climate Negotiator for AOSIS, Anne Rasmussen, delivered a joint statement at a press conference at the United Nations 62nd Meeting of the Subsidiary Bodies. Rasmussen warned that progress was lagging on key issues, and that global inaction could undermine the commitments made under the Paris Agreement.
Rasmussen said that while the Paris Agreement’s 1.5-degree Celsius limit had not yet been crossed, scientific reports indicated that the situation was more dangerous than previously understood. She said countries must act with urgency and ambition to prevent permanent overshoot of the 1.5-degree limit.
Rasmussen called on countries to implement the Global Stocktake and submit updated Nationally Determined Contributions that align with the Paris Agreement target by the end of the year. She said failing to act now would accelerate disastrous consequences globally.
She said that small island states are facing economic and environmental losses due to events beyond their control. She referenced Hurricane Beryl, which struck the Caribbean as the earliest recorded Category 5 hurricane in the Atlantic, causing hundreds of millions in damage. She also cited rising sea surface temperatures and marine heatwaves in the Pacific affecting over 10% of the global ocean.
Rasmussen said small island states are taking action through resilience-building efforts including marine conservation and early warning systems. However, she said their ability to respond is limited due to structural constraints and size.
She said discussions in Bonn must progress urgently to match the pace of climate change impacts. She criticised the lack of progress in the Mitigation Work Programme and said parties must increase efforts to protect adaptation options and reduce loss and damage.
Rasmussen expressed concern over lack of movement on climate finance, calling for implementation of the New Collective Quantified Goal and fulfilment of existing financial commitments. She also questioned the absence of progress on adaptation indicators and adaptation finance, despite previous declarations that COP30 would focus on adaptation.
She concluded by urging countries to take decisive action in Bonn to ensure the success of COP30 in Belem and fulfil the promise of the Paris Agreement.
