Submission on APA Item 6 – Inputs and Modalities of the Global Stocktake
April 2017
Australia welcomes this opportunity to share views on the inputs and modalities for the Global
Stocktake (APA Item 6). This submission takes into consideration the guiding questions provided by
the APA co-facilitators1 and builds on our previous submission prepared with Canada, Japan and the
United States.
I. OVERALL CONTEXT
The Global Stocktake is an important element of the Paris Agreement framework and if appropriately
implemented will assist Parties in achieving our collective long-term goals. The objectives of the
Global Stocktake are set out clearly in Article 14 of the Paris Agreement: it should consider collective
progress towards the long-term goals (mitigation, adaptation and finance) and its outcome should
inform Parties in updating and enhancing, in a nationally determined manner, their actions and
support as well as enhancing international cooperation for climate action.
As Parties further
elaborate the modalities and inputs of the Global Stocktake, these objectives and outcomes should be
central to discussion. Discussions should also reflect the principles of the Global Stocktake: that it be
conducted in a comprehensive and facilitative manner, in light of equity and the best available science.
II. MODALITIES
Australia considers that Parties should seek to agree on a structure for the stocktake which is durable
over time and is not overly prescriptive. The first stocktake is not until 2023 and it will repeat every
five years. We should ensure sufficient flexibility to account for new developments, learn from
experience and avoid locking in deficiencies in its design at the outset. We should seek to agree on a
structure by COP24, forming part of the “Paris Rulebook”.
It is envisaged that the structure of the Global Stocktake will involve a leadership component which
provides the opportunity to encourage enhanced action. Our common objective should be to create
a process which will support the delivery of the three Paris goals. The political moment should provide
the impetus for all Parties to increase ambition and inform the production of subsequent NDCs.
It is also envisaged there will be a technical component to the stocktake that will inform the
subsequent leadership component. In determining the modalities and inputs of the technical phase,
we should recognise that the three long-term goals are different in nature (although evidently
connected) and that a stocktake of progress will need to have appropriate technical inputs and
modalities to answer the different questions at hand. Elements of the stocktake dealing with
1
Ad-Hoc Working Group on the Paris Agreement (APA), Agenda Item 6, Informal Note by the Co-Facilitators, 14
November 2016
mitigation, adaptation and support should therefore be dealt with separately. We should seek to
articulate questions for each stream which are capable of being answered at a technical level and
which will usefully inform political discussion in line with the Article 14’s objective stated above. Some
questions will have a quantitative focus and others will require a qualitative approach.
In Australia’s view, the Presidencies should have a strong role in guiding the conduct of the Global
Stocktake. The UNFCCC Secretariat should support the Presidencies, particularly on questions of
organisation of technical aspects of the process. The Secretariat may also have a role in drafting
documents to support the outcomes of the stocktake – for instance, in compiling a document
comparable to the 2015 Synthesis Report according to agreed inputs and modalities. For the political
process, Australia envisages an important role for the Champions.
III. INPUTS
Australia considers that specific inputs to a global stocktake should be selected in the lead-up to each
stocktake. This provides flexibility to adjust the operation of the stocktake over time in light of
experience. It would be helpful to set out some criteria to guide the selection of inputs. For the first
stocktake culminating in 2023, the selection of inputs could take place in 2021 or 2022, subject to the
timeframe required by the stocktake’s eventual modalities.
Inputs should be authoritative and should preference materials already produced under Paris
Agreement reporting obligations. The IPCC reports will be fundamental inputs, as will aggregated
national greenhouse gas inventory data from all Parties, NDCs and long-term low greenhouse gas
development strategies.
Inputs from non-state actors will be important in giving a full account of collective progress against
the Paris Agreement’s long-term goals. There is an evident need to balance inclusivity in seeking
inputs while ensuring the pool of inputs is manageable for experts, is of high quality and scientifically
robust. A number of potential processes could be considered which could assist in striking an
appropriate balance.
In addition to overarching criteria, the selection of inputs should be guided by relevant questions for
the three streams which will be durable over time. Discussions on the GST in Bonn in May 2017 could
seek to elaborate such questions relevant to the long-term goals.