COP24 Katowice Starts

COP24 is starting in Katowice, Poland. The pre-set objectives for this COP are to agree and finalise the Paris Agreement Work Programme (PAWP), also referred to as the 'Rulebook' for the Paris Agreement, these are the governance and frameworks to allow all elements to be implemented from 2020. In addition at this COP, there will be a stocktake of the pledges in the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), facilitated by the Talanoa Dialogue. Given this expected workload, there has been an extra UNFCCC meeting prior to COP24, in Bangkok in September, and COP24 started a day earlier than usual, on the Sunday 2 December.

Katowice is the capital of the Silesian region, historically a major coal mining area, although many mines have closed. Now there is a museum of coal mining which happens to be right next to the COP venue, with an imposing pit-head structure left in place. The irony of the location will not be lost on many participants, with several phasing-out-coal events planned in COP.

The COP Plenary included a statement from the COP24 President, the Polish Minister Kurtyka, who described the Silesian region's history based on coal, and the technological changes over time, "and now the world is a global village, we have to act in solidarity for deep but just transitions", ie for industry sectors affected by climate policy. More on this topic and the role of CCS will be covered in our Side-event (see below).

New at this COP is a "Peoples' Voice" seat, for public views to be expressed (which aren't already covered by civil society organisations) through a spokesperson. The spokesperson at this COP is Sir David Attenborough "the extinction of much of the natural world is on the horizon unless we take action on climate change".

IEAGHG at COP24

IEAGHG and partner organisations were again successful in getting an official UNFCCC Side-event on CCS at COP-24. On the 6 Dec, titled "Can CCS help Poland and similar countries to decarbonise industry?" it includes IPCC Vice-Chair Dr Thelma Krug to present the 1.5 report and its messages for CCS, and UK Minister Mark Field to present the messages from the Global CCUS Summit in Edinburgh last week. The lead partner organisation is the University of Texas, with CCSA, the International CCS Knowledge Centre, and Bellona.

IEAGHG will be busy at COP24, including presenting at the following events:

• ​5th Dec. Title: "CO2 Capture Project Study: CCS in Nationally Determined Contributions and Mid-Century Strategies". Location: IETA Hub, COP-24 1100-1230.
  
• 6th Dec. Title: Can CCS help Poland and similar countries to decarbonise industry? Location: COP-24 UNFCCC Room 4 (Warmia). 1500-1630. Organisers: The University of Texas at Austin, CCSA, International CCS Knowledge Centre, Bellona and led by IEAGHG.
  
• 6th Dec. "The Ocean and CO₂: challenges and science responses for seas and society". COP-24 UK Pavilion. 1600-1800.
  
• 10^th Dec. "CCUS locally and at European level" . Location: (outside COP24) GIG - square Gwarków 1, 40-166 Katowice. Organiser CO2GeoNet and GIG. 1400-1600.
  
• 12th Dec. "Demystifying negative emission technologies". Location COP-24 EU Pavilion . 1600-1800Organiser: CO2GeoNet
  
• 12 Dec. 1745-1900. "Changing Our Future with CCS!" . Location: COP-24 Japanese Pavilion. Organisers: METI and JCCS.
  

For anyone attending COP, you are very welcome to attend these events. Dziękuję!