UN Climate Change News, 1 August 2018 – UN Climate Change today launches a series of ‘Talanoa Stories’ ahead of the Climate Change Conference (COP24) in Poland at the end of this year.

This responds to a social media campaign headed by the FIJIAN COP23 Presidency called ‘Talanoa Stories’ highlighting inspiring activity needed to accomplish the goals of the Paris Agreement.

All these stories form part of the Talanoa Dialogue - a pivotal international conversation in which countries take stock of progress to keep global temperatures within safe levels and on track to reach net zero emissions by mid-century.  

Talanoa is a traditional Fijian word used across the Pacific to reflect a process of inclusive, participatory and transparent dialogue. The purpose of this approach is to build a consensus around climate action that fosters stability and empathy in conversation.

Led by the Fijian and Polish COP Presidencies, this process invites national governments, sub-nationals, the private sector, civil society, expert institutions and citizens to answer one of the three central questions of the Talanoa Dialogue:

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

Currently, the Talanoa Dialogue is building a strong evidence-based foundation ahead of its political phase which will take place at COP24, when high level representatives will consider how to enhance national ambition.

At this political phase, the representatives will be presented with a Synthesis Report, which will bring together all of their inputs from the Talanoa Dialogue to help facilitate discussions.

We now highly encourage those interested in raising global climate ambition to join this campaign by sharing their own stories under the ‘Talanoa Stories’ banner and using the #Talanoa4ambition hashtag.

Over the months leading to COP24 in Poland, we will be releasing several powerful Talanoa stories (SEE BELOW) – all of which demonstrate the efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions and to adapt that are happening on the ground to solve the current climate crisis.

We've already presented a Talano for Ambition summary video.

In our first instalment of the new, more detailed, series, Yvette Dzakpasu of Global Ecovillage Network calls on the international community to listen to the voices of people on the ground in the effort to address climate change.

In our second video in the Talanoa Story series, Jose Di Bella of ParlAmericas, one of the partner organizations at Latin America & Caribbean Climate Week (21-23 August), talks about what is needed to achieve nations’ Paris Climate Agreement pledges: prioritizing climate action in national legislation and budgets as well as increased awareness among citizens about Paris Agreement goals.

In this video, Kimbowa Richard from the Uganda Coalition for Sustainable Development shares a story of a farming community heavily impacted by climate change. The climate impacts have resulted in loss of incomes, lives and property. Richard says that multilateral support is necessary to overcome this challenge for his community and others around the world.

In our fourth Talanoa Story, Elina Bardram of the European Union calls for collective and comprehensive efforts to pursue a transformational investment change. This is the type of action which is necessary to limit the average global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees C above pre-industrial levels.

Businesses are also taking part in stepping up climate action. Anirban Ghosh of the Mahindra Group shares his company’s efforts to help others quickly reduce their carbon footprints so that the Paris Climate Agreement goals can be met.