Climate action in a “common but differentiated” framework

Climate action requires differentiated mitigation and adaptation strategies tailored to the national circumstances of countries worldwide. The first global stocktake (GST) and the nationally determined contributions (NDCs) submitted by parties to the Paris Agreement (PA) have clarified the pathways for global climate action. These submissions indicate that building the capacity of developing countries, as stated in Article 11, is a prerequisite for conducting assessments related to climate finance under Article 9 and technology development and transfer under Article 10 of the PA. This suggests that the approach to carbon reduction in developing countries differs from that in developed countries. Developed countries need to implement immediate mitigation actions while supporting developing countries in avoiding a carbon-intensive development path as they advance their less-developed sectors. Although global climate actors have significantly focused on climate finance and technology transfer, efforts to build the capacity of developing countries to access these resources have been inadequate. Therefore, capacity building in developing countries is essential for collective progress toward achieving the PA goal. The upcoming Conference of the Parties (COP29) should prioritize a capacity-building framework to strengthen the global response to climate change.