The Global Stocktake (GST) is the ambition mechanism of the Paris Agreement, which takes stock of implementation of this Agreement and assesses collective progress towards achieving its purpose and its long-term goals.

Preparation for the first GST1 started in 2021 with information collection, and the GST was launched at CMA3 in Glasgow. The first GST will conclude at COP 28 2023 in the United Arab Emirates, and take place every five years thereafter.

The technical dialogue (TD) is the second component of the GST. We, Farhan Akhtar and Harald Winkler, have been appointed as co-facilitators of the first TD, having been nominated by developed and developing countries, respectively. 

We are tasked with conducting, with the secretariat’s support, the three consecutive meetings of the first TD (SBs 56-58 in June 2022, Nov 2022 and June 2023). The discussions will address all thematic areas of the GST (mitigation, adaptation, and means of implementation and support, as well as elements of response measures and loss and damage, with equity and ambition treated as cross-cutting issues, all informed by the best available science. Consistent with the mandate in decision 19/CMA.1, the TD is a dialogue among Parties, non-Party stakeholders (NPS) and experts. To foster a focused exchange of views, information and ideas, TD1.1will use multiple formats: plenaries, round-tables, a world café and a reception The plans for TD1.1 are detailed in our information note, which indicates a learning-by-doing approach, adjusting the process for future TDs after the first meetings. We have identified some issues for the three round-tables, based on our reflections on inputs received; these are very much meant for discussion.

Work of the Co Facilitators in 2022:

Having held informal consultations during COP26 in Glasgow, with groups of Parties, chairs of constituted bodies and NPS, following the official start of the first GST, our work has begun in earnest in 2022. With the support of the secretariat, we have:

• Held virtual informal consultations with RINGOs, at their request, and with representatives of UNFCC observer constituencies;
• Participated  in the Regional Climate Week in MENA with a recorded message;
• Continued to encourage Parties, NPS and experts to convene engagements;
• Met with the SB Chairs to share our evolving thinking, and obtain their advice on the TDs
• Met in person to plan for TD1.1, together with teams from the secretariat and various external participants;
• Published an information note on the first meeting of the TD of the first GST (TD1.1). In our note, we lay out more detail on the process for TD1.1, with multiple formats: plenaries, round-tables, a world café and hopefully, also a reception. We sketch a less detailed plan for the following meetings, which we will adjust accordingly after TD1.1, following a learning-by-doing and iterative approach. On substance, we identify some issues for the three round-tables, based on our reflections on input received; these are very much meant for discussion;
• We attended informal consultations with Parties and NPS, together with the SB Chairs, to hear their views with regards to TD1.1.

Please note that this list will be updated from time to time on an as needed basis

Biographies of the Co-Facilitators of the Global Stocktake

Harald Winkler

Harald Winkler was nominated as the co-facilitator of the technical dialogue of the first Global Stocktake by the Developing Country Parties. He is a professor at the University of Cape Town, with research focused on expertise in mitigation, poverty and inequality, and has several publications including on the Global Stocktake, transparency and a just transition in South Africa. He has played an active role in the UNFCCC negotiations for more than two decades, including on the Global Stocktake and decision 19/CMA.1.

Harald brings strong foundations in the state of knowledge of climate change to the role of GST co‑facilitation through his involvement in the IPCC. He is Coordinating Lead Author of Chapter 4 (Mitigation and development pathways) in WGIII and on the core writing team for the Synthesis Report of the Sixth Assessment Report. He is an experienced facilitator at the national and international levels, bringing together different perspectives on complex issues in ways that move processes forward.

Farhan Akhtar 

Dr. Farhan Akhtar was nominated as the co-facilitator of the technical dialogue of the first Global Stocktake by the Developed Country Parties. He is chief scientist for climate change at the U.S. Department of State. Dr. Akhtar is the senior State Department scientist on the Sub-committee for Global Change Research, which coordinates climate change research for the United States government. In this function, he played a key role in producing international portions of the Fourth U.S. National Climate Assessment. Since 2019, Dr. Akhtar has served as the lead representative for the United States at the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and oversees U.S. scientific and technical input into the IPCC.

At the UNFCCC, Dr. Akhtar oversees U.S. engagement on adaptation, loss and damage, research and systematic observations, periodic review, and other science issues. Since 2017, Dr. Akhtar has served on the Executive Committee for the Warsaw International Mechanism for loss and damage associated with the adverse impacts of climate change. From 2015-2019, Dr. Akhtar served as the U.S. council member for the Least Developed Countries Fund and Special Climate Change Fund.