Reflections on ACE, Loss and Damage, and NDCs from the Bonn UN Climate Change Conference (SB56)

The 56th Session of the United Nations Climate Conference in Bonn (also known as SB56), Germany has come to a close. SB56 followed the publication of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Report, the world's most dire report on the climate crisis to date that was deemed "an indictment of failed climate leadership" by UN Secretary-General António Guterres. As youth activists, we hoped the findings of the reports would inspire countries to build bridges and make the transformative decisions necessary to secure a climate just future. Unfortunately, we left SB56 with more distrust and disagreement than when it began, without any concrete outcomes, and with sadness as we watched our lives be negotiated with, yet again, as if they are nothing more than a profit margin. 

As we look toward COP27 following the lack of any outcomes at SB56, we continue to urge parties to remember they're negotiating our future, our lives, and the health of our shared environment. So, what actually happened at the SBs? Find reflections and accounts of the events from our team members below: 

Hailey Campbell (USA)

24 year-old Climate Activist, Action for Climate Empowerment Expert, and Executive Director

Image Caption: Hailey showcasing how many young people are leading ACE discussions as negotiators and civil society stakeholders, proving the power and capacity young people have to be climate leaders as a panelist during the ACE Dialogues.

Within the Paris Agreement sits over a dozen "articles" outlining agreed definitions and actions countries will take to tackle the climate crisis (e.g. submitting net-zero pledges called Nationally Determined Contributions). One of the least covered and most important articles of the Paris Agreement is "Article 12 on Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE)," which states the significance of empowering communities to tackle the climate crisis through education, training, awareness raising, public participation, access to information, and international cooperation. 

Most of my advocacy at the UN-level focuses on ACE as I strongly believe climate action requires an all hands on deck approach! At COP26, countries agreed to write an ACE Action Plan and focus the first in-session dialogue on youth-inclusion - one of my biggest wins from COP26 as an activist. From speaking about youth inclusion in country delegations as a panelist for the ACE Dialogues to 10 hours of Technical Discussions, 10 bilateral country discussions, and 5 days of negotiations, I felt confident countries could relay and support youth inclusive actions as if they had come up with them on their own. Unfortunately, we were left with a half-baked action plan that barely mentions the very points we spent hours discussing. My hope for COP27 for a cross-stakeholder, inclusive ACE Action Plan that truly empowers every single member of our community to take climate action to be created. This includes recognition of our rights to access information about climate change and participate in discussions, support for environmental defenders, funding for ACE activities, and wide-spread climate education that is culturally, linguistic, and accessibility inclusive. 

Despite the wide disagreement leading to the Action Plan not being established, I left SB56 feeling inspired by the civil society and youth leaders that have been standing up for our rights since 1992. Countries may be negotiating policies for our future, but we all have the power to act, the power to bring conversations about climate action into our daily lives, and the power to make changes that support a zero carbon, sustainable future. 

Country leaders know what they must do to safeguard our future. I encourage you to explore your role and responsibility too. 

Holly Owens (UK)

24 year-old Climate Activist with UK Youth Climate Coalition

Image Caption: Loss and damage protest calling for urgent action inside SB56.

Loss and Damage was another area of the negotiations that received a lot of attention. As I joined the second week of the SB56, the impression being passed around was that Loss and Damage would not be on the agenda at COP27. Loss and Damage comprises of three aspects: avoiding, averting, and addressing the impacts of climate change. The first two are targeted by plans for mitigation and adaptation. Whereas the need to address Loss and Damage speaks to the loss and damage that is already set to happen; from fast acting ones like natural disasters to slow onset events like sea level rise. Currently, the Glasgow dialogue doesn’t go far enough to finance this at the scale that is needed. Without Loss and Damage on the agenda at COP27, this gap will remain in the architecture of negotiations and communities on the frontline of the climate crisis will have no reparations. 

Climate justice organisations continued their efforts to work together during the SB56 to demand Loss and Damage is included and addressed. Personally, the most impactful moments of the week were during the actions taken in the hallways to demand Loss and Damage was on the COP27 agenda. Overall, the conference felt disconnected to the urgency of the crisis, leaving an unsettled feeling in many of the youth activists I was with. The moments of action that raised the core injustices of the climate crisis therefore felt incredibly important. 

I left Bonn unsure of what we accomplished - there was no clear answer by the end of the two weeks on the inclusion of Loss and Damage. However, the increased reporting from media outlets and civil society will continue to put pressure on parties to include it. Loss and Damage financing is essential for climate justice - in the run up to COP27 we must continue to demand it.

Ruth Oviedo Hollands (USA)

Climate Activist and Project Manager for the NDC Equity Tracker

Image Caption: Ruth speaking at CAC's side event on youth leadership and agency in climate spaces.

With a focus on equitable Nationally Distributed Contributions (NDCs), I participated at the Bonn Climate Change Conference with a lot of enthusiasm and purpose. I wanted to convey the message that our equity tracker does; we need more inclusive and ambitious NDCs. Many side events gave insight on how NDCs should be more open to different perspectives and ideas in technology, loss and damages, and representative of vulnerable peoples. However, there was little consideration of youth perspectives across the board. 

I had the great pleasure to be a part of a panel along with other youth leaders in the climate space to speak on the role of intergenerational contributions in this kind of conference, but also to talk about the different challenges that face youth climate advocates. I was happy with the interest in our participation, but also I was fascinated to learn that there are countries, albeit few, that are doing more for youth in the climate space as delegates of their home countries. I feel these were exceptional to see since a lot of young people still face a lot of backlash in their advocacy in many regions of the world. From the panelists to the audience, there was a consensus of lack of resources, representation, and challenges for youth and a strong desire to work on claiming that space in climate ambition. Youth are stakeholders and it’s been time that we were treated as such in the climate space.