COP24 in Katowice produces a rule-book for implementing the Paris Agreement

Both the seasonal snow and the Paris Agreement rule-book arrived late in Katowice. Luminaries such as Sir David Attenborough, Bertrand Piccard of Solar Impulse and Antonio Guterres, Secretary General of the United Nations, added to the impetus from the IPCC Special report SR1.5 to push delegates into a last minute agreement.

Key areas, such as common timeframes and transparency in the monitoring and reporting of the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) for the signatory Parties were agreed, but Article 6 on market mechanisms has reverted to the subsidiary and technical bodies for more work next year on the detailed guidance.

The Talanoa Dialogue was brought to a formal close after much positive and inspiring storytelling but without a clear path forward toward increasing the ambition of the NDCs in the run-up to COP26 in 2020. Parties also noted the Solidarity and Just Transition Silesia Declaration, which recognizes the need to consider the imperatives of just transition of the workforce and the creation of decent work and quality jobs.

During COP24, Ipieca hosted and presented at two side events on low-emission transport, and presented at two more events on carbon capture and storage and one on natural gas as a route to clean air.

The offer of Chile to host COP25 was accepted. Prior to that, the UN Secretary General will convene a climate summit in September 2019 in New York, USA.