Talanoa Dialogue

Welcome to the COP23 Presidency’s Talanoa Dialogue page. Here you will find all the information you need to know about the process, together with the latest updates!

The Paris Agreement provides for progress assessments (“stocktakes”) every five years in order to ensure that Parties (UNFCCC term for countries) turn commitment into action and continue to regularly increase their ambition. The first full global stocktake will occur in 2023 in order to prepare for a new round of climate commitments, known as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), by 2025. However, Parties felt it was important to initiate this cycle prior to the agreement’s anticipated entry into force in 2020, and so a process called the Talanoa Dialogue (initially called a facilitative dialogue) has been established for 2018 to serve as an initial stocktaking exercise.

The Dialogue is a mandated process requested by Parties to take stock of collective efforts to reduce emissions and build greater resilience, in line with the long-term goals of the Paris Agreement and to prepare updated or new NDCs by 2020. Ultimately, the goal is to help Parties achieve maximum ambition in implementing and improving their NDCs. The Talanoa Dialogue was launched at COP23 in Bonn.

The central goal of the Paris Agreement is to achieve net zero emissions as soon as possible and in the second half of the century, and to contain the rise in average global temperatures to well below 2 degrees Celsius, while pursuing efforts to achieve a rise no greater than 1.5 degrees Celsius. The Fijian Presidency is calling for the formation of a Grand Coalition to build momentum to achieve the more ambitious target of 1.5, and to reduce net carbon emissions to zero as soon as possible.

Structure of the Talanoa Dialogue

The Dialogue will consist of a preparatory (January-December) and a political phase (COP24). The Presidencies of COP23 and COP24 will jointly lead both phases of the Dialogue and co-chair the political phase at COP24.

Preparatory Phase

During the preparatory phase, Parties, stakeholders and expert institutions are invited to prepare analytical and policy relevant inputs that respond to at least one of the three central questions:

Where are we?
Where do we want to go?
How do we get there?

To do so, Parties and non-Party stakeholders are encouraged to cooperate to convene local, national, regional and global events “in support of” the Dialogue, which will allow them to organise amongst themselves, strategise and consolidate their contributions – not only for online submissions. This will require working within existing observer groups, networks, alliances and coalitions to determine what stories to tell and who to tell them. Event organisers should inform the Presidency and the UNFCCC secretariat of any such event in advance so that information can be made available on the Talanoa Dialogue Online Platform and the COP23 website.

The idea is for Parties and Non-Party Stakeholders to share stories, ideas and information that the world can learn from, both in terms of what has worked and what hasn’t worked in the ongoing battle against climate change. To create open and inclusive process – devoid of finger pointing or blame – where all stakeholders can share examples of best practices and lessons learned in order to give national governments the tools they need to reach higher and further toward bringing our collective ambition in line with what science tells us it needs to be. Through honest, respectful and solutions-orientated dialogue, we believe that together we can build trust and inspire more ambitious action in order to meet the objectives of the Paris Agreement and support the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Political Phase

The political phase will take place at COP24 and will be co-chaired by the COP23 and COP24 Presidencies. The political phase will bring together high-level representatives of the Parties to: (i) take stock of the collective efforts of Parties in meeting the long term goals of the Paris Agreement and (ii) inform the preparation of the next round of NDCs. The political phase will ensure focused and interactive discussions amongst Ministers and selected NPS representatives.

This process is designed to build momentum toward a political space at COP24 where political leaders can agree on where we need to go and how we can get there in the global fight against climate change.

May Sessions

The May sessions provided the first opportunity for Parties and non-Party stakeholders to interact and engage in dialogue that was constructive, facilitative, transparent and, above all, solutions-oriented.

On Sunday, 6 May 2018, seven Talanoa Groups worked in parallel to address each of the three questions, one at a time. The questions were taken up in sequence, so that all six parallel Talanoa groups considered the same question at the same time: (1) Where are we?; (2) Where do we want to go?; (3) How do we get there?

Each Talanoa group was named after an area in Fiji affected by climate change and consisted of approximately 35 participants: 30 Party representatives and 5 non-Party stakeholder representatives.

Following the May sessions, a formal summary of the procedure and substance of the Talanoa Dialogue during the May sessions will be made available.

How to Submit and View Inputs

Online Platform

The UNFCCC has launched an online platform where Parties and non-Party stakeholders can submit inputs in response to one or all of the three central questions listed above, as well as access the inputs submitted by others.

The Talanoa Dialogue will provide a space for both pre-2020 and post-2020 inputs and discussions. While the mandate for the Talanoa Dialogue is to explore solutions to achieve the long-term goal of the Paris Agreement, we recognise that the best way to ensure we achieve this is to start NOW with increased ambition that leads to more decisive action. Thus, actions both before 2020 and after 2020 are critical to the success of the Talanoa process.

Online submissions will be collated twice after each deadline. The deadlines for the submission of inputs are 1) 2 April 2018 for discussions in conjunction with the April/May session (30 April – 10 May) and then 2) 29 October 2018 for discussions in conjunction with COP24 (3 – 14 December).

We strongly recommend that inputs are provided in a form that is clear, concise, and actionable, with a clear link to how they can support implementing and enhancing NDCs. We encourage referring to relevant research reports and data in a manner that is accessible to lay audiences. Inputs could include relevant studies or point of views in the form of documents, presentations or videos. In preparing an input, please consider:

Whether the input in question is relevant and to which of the three questions;
What is objective of the input in the context of a multilateral dialogue; and
Whether to join efforts in submitting inputs.

It is important for all actors to consider how they want their submission to help shape the political discussion during the political phase at COP24 and help high-level representatives, including ministers, reach for an ambitious outcome in Poland.

Guidance for Parties

The Presidency has prepared additional guiding questions to help Parties prepare their inputs. The additional guiding questions provided are optional and are put forward in an effort to assist Parties in formulating their stories and making submissions.

Guidance for NPS

For non-Party stakeholders, the High-Level Climate Champions have provided a template to help approach the three questions. Using the template is not mandatory, however, the Champions encourage non-Party stakeholders to use such a structure to facilitate capturing and highlighting the key messages across the three questions.

Organising an Event

Parties and non-Party stakeholders are encouraged to cooperate to convene local, national, regional and global events in support of the Talanoa Dialogue, in order to organise, strategise and consolidate their contributions.

Event organisers should inform the COP23 and COP24 Presidencies, through the UNFCCC secretariat, of any such event in advance so that information about the event can be made available on the Talanoa Dialogue Online Platform. Please send emails to [email protected].

To be eligible for inclusion on the Platform, your efforts must be in the spirit of Talanoa, be relevant to at least one of the three central questions of the Talanoa Dialogue, and should support the goal of helping implement and increase ambition in NDCs.

Event organisers are also invited to show support for the Talanoa Dialogue by using the Talanoa Dialogue for Climate Ambition logo on marketing materials, websites and social media accounts. Please indicate your interest in receiving the logo when you contact the secretariat about your event. All events included on the Platform will be eligible to use the logo.

Of course, support for the Talanoa Dialogue can come in many other forms, including making a submission to the online platform, or otherwise helping to spread the COP23 and COP24 Presidencies’ call for maximum ambition and maximum action. In these cases, you are also invited to request use of the logo. To do so, please send a note to the email address listed above, which provides the name of your organisation, relevant contact details and a brief explanation of how you are supporting, or intend to support, the goal of maximum ambition in implementing and improving NDCs.

Key Features of the Talanoa Dialogue

Key Milestones:

Online submissions will be collated twice – after April 2nd 2018, and October 29th 2018.
The first set of submissions will be collated and summarised into a report that will inform the Dialogue during the April/May sessions in Bonn (May intersessional).
The May discussions will be used to explore the three central topics informed by inputs by various actors and institutions, including from what we call the Global Climate Action Agenda, which is being led this year by Fiji’s High-Level Climate Action Champion, Minister Inia Seruiratu and his Polish counterpart. Summaries from all discussions will be prepared under the authority of the Presidencies of COP23 and COP24.
The proceedings of the May intersessional Talanoa Dialogue will be summarised along with the totality of submissions and inputs received throughout the year.
This summary will lead to a synthesis report that will take the pulse of the journey we have embarked on together to understand where we are, our vision for the future of our common good, and how we will collectively get there.
The synthesis report will inform the political phase of the Talanoa Dialogue, which will take place at COP24 in Poland. This phase will build on the momentum of conversations and stories exchanged throughout the year and the dynamic networks of interactions.

General Observations:

The Dialogue should be constructive, facilitative and solutions oriented;
The Dialogue should not lead to discussions of a confrontational nature in which individual Parties or groups of Parties are singled out;
The Dialogue will be conducted in the spirit of the Pacific tradition of Talanoa:
- Talanoa is a traditional approach used in Fiji and the Pacific to engage in an inclusive, participatory and transparent dialogue;
- The purpose of Talanoa is to share stories, build empathy and trust;
- During the process, participants advance their knowledge through common understanding;
- It creates a platform of dialogue, which results in better decision-making for the collective good;
- By focusing on the benefits of collective action, this process will inform decision-making and move the global climate agenda forward;
The Dialogue should be conducted in a manner that promotes cooperation;
The Dialogue will be conducted in a manner that promotes enhanced ambition. The dialogue will consider, as one of its elements, the efforts of Parties on action and support, as appropriate, in the pre-2020 period;
The Dialogue will fulfill its mandate, in a comprehensive and non-restrictive manner.
The Special Report by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change on Global Warming of 1.5°C will provide a key input for the Talanoa Dialogue.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Talanoa?

Talanoa is a traditional word used in Fiji and the Pacific to reflect a process of inclusive, participatory and transparent dialogue. The purpose of Talanoa is to share stories and build empathy in order to make wise decisions that are for the collective good. The process of Talanoa involves the sharing of ideas, skills and experience through storytelling.

During the process of the Talanoa Dialogue, Parties will build trust and advance knowledge through empathy and understanding. Blaming others and making critical observations is inconsistent with the building of mutual trust and respect, and therefore inconsistent with the methodology of the Talanoa Dialogue. The spirit of talanoa acknowledges that no-one, no matter how powerful, can solve the climate challenge on their own.

What is the expected outcome of the Talanoa Dialogue?

The Talanoa Dialogue is designed to take stock of collective efforts to reduce emissions in line with the long-term goals of the Paris Agreement and to inform the preparation of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). Ultimately, the goal is to help countries increase the ambition of their NDCs by 2020. However, the specific outcome will be determined by Parties during the political phase at COP24.

What are the expectations of Parties both in terms of the content and timing of submissions?

The Presidencies have released guidance for submissions from Parties, similar to that issued for non-Party stakeholders (NPS). Although not mandatory, we hope that it will help Parties shape their submissions. The process is designed to allow Parties and NPS take stock of where they currently are in the climate journeys (i.e. actions and commitments) and where they need to go.

This is a useful opportunity to reflect on the progress and achievements that have been made so far, as well as on the reforms, incentives, technologies, business models and new forms of collaboration that still need to be developed, undertaken or adopted.

We are requesting that submissions be clear, concise and constructive to allow important information and innovation to be shared, and to foster knowledge transfer and best practices among stakeholders. This will also help us ensure accurate translation when summarising all submissions for the final synthesis report.

We encourage Parties to take the time they need to prepare their inputs, but the sooner Parties can submit them, the more time the inputs will have help shape the ongoing dialogue.

Is the Talanoa Dialogue focused solely on mitigation, or can inputs include adaptation and resilience considerations?

The Talanoa Dialogue is ultimately designed to help the world achieve the long-term goals of the Paris Agreement by encouraging Parties to submit more ambitious NDCs. Adaptation and resilience are important components in the NDCs of developing of countries and are critical for achieving the overarching goals of the Paris Agreement, including promoting sustainable development. Even if all countries were to immediately enact the most ambitious mitigation efforts possible, the current levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere would still cause the impacts of climate change to worsen for some time, putting the lives and livelihoods of vulnerable communities under threat.

So whilst the 1.5/2 degrees target is critically important, strengthening the capacity of vulnerable societies to adapt to the adverse impacts of climate change is necessary to ensure a sustainable transition towards a net-zero emission society as early as possible. This makes the discussion on adaptation and resilience relevant to the Talanoa Dialogue. We encourage you in particular to share experiences and lessons on actions and initiatives that address both adaption and mitigation.

What about issues like health and gender?

Consideration of “cross-cutting” issues like health and gender can also be included in submissions where it is relevant to the climate action or initiative that is being discussed in the context of the three core questions.

Can individuals contribute to the Talanoa Dialogue?

Yes, individuals can make submissions. However, individuals thinking about submitting an input are encouraged to consider how they can join efforts with others to prepare a joint input. This will help the Presidencies and secretariat in their work to consolidate the submissions.

Can Parties invite NPS to submit inputs?

Yes, however the submission should clearly indicate the entity(-ies) making the submission. We want to hear as many and as diverse a range of stories as possible. In order to address the great climate change challenge, we need to reach a new level of global collaboration between governments, cities, businesses, investors, civil society, the scientific community and ordinary men and women. No one actor can solve this problem alone and so Parties are encouraged to collaborate with NPS in their submissions or to encourage them to submit their own inputs.

We encourage all stakeholders to consider ways to consolidate inputs or prepare joint inputs where appropriate, in order to aid in the production of the synthesis report.

Do inputs need to include concrete projects, innovations or goals?

It would be helpful to include these but it is not mandatory. However, remember that the Dialogue is designed to promote the sharing of stories, ideas and information that the world can learn from, both in terms of what has worked and what hasn’t worked in terms of mitigation and adaptation initiatives and related enabling mechanisms like policy, governance, regulation, financing and institutional structures. Information should be relevant for enhancing the next round of NDCs and concrete examples, lessons and experiences will help achieve this.

What if I miss 2 April deadline?

Any input received later to that deadline will still appear on the Talanoa Dialogue Online Platform and will be included in the final synthesis report, but will not be part of the materials that the secretariat will produce in time for the May sessions.

How will the outcomes of May Sessions impact the political phase?

The outcomes of the May Sessions will be summarised in a report that will also include the summary of the portal submissions received up to 2 April 2018 as well as the outputs of the technical expert meetings (TEMs). This summary report will provide early signals on the elements to need to be discussed in the political phase at COP24. The summary report, along with other submissions and inputs during the rest of the year, will be fed into the final synthesis report that will be discussed at the political phase.

What are the opportunities to engage between May and COP24?

The preparatory phase is expected to run throughout the year and until COP24. Additional information on the conduct of the preparatory phase will be provided after the May sessions. The Presidencies further encourage Parties and non-Party stakeholders to continue to cooperate in convening local, national, regional or global events in support of the Talanoa Dialogue.

A second deadline for inputs has been set for 29 October 2018. Any input received later to that deadline will still appear on the Online Platform, but will not be part of the materials that the secretariat produce in time for COP24.

How will the Presidencies prepare the synthesis report?

We must ensure that the report accurately reflects the submissions and serves as a useful tool for political leaders a view of where we are in terms of current mitigation and adaptation efforts; goals and visions; and clear directions on how to get there.

The Presidencies will assess how best to accomplish this as submissions are reviewed. At this stage, it is already clear that the synthesis report will need to be succinct, credible, easy to access and organised in a clear and logical fashion. It will be informed by science and present clear directions and messages for how to enhance and implement NDCs.

The Need for Urgency

The Dialogue was launched at the UN Climate Change Conference COP23 in Bonn in November 2017 and will run throughout 2018. The Paris Agreement’s central goal is keep the global average temperature rise to below 2C degrees and as close as possible to 1.5C.

Current global ambition to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to prepare societies to resist increasing climate change is not enough to achieve this under the current national climate action plans known as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).