Statements

Please visit the Delivered Statements page for statements given by the RINGO constituency at UNFCCC meetings.

If you are interested in helping draft COP27 statements – please contact our RINGO statement coordinators directly:

RINGO, and the other observer constituencies, have the opportunity to make statements at opening and closing plenaries of COP and SB meetings, and at high level sessions. These statements are RINGO-wide, and do not express the specific views of individual RINGOs. As a non-advocacy constituency, RINGO does not take positions on negotiation issues.  Nonetheless it is important for us as a constituency to know what areas are important to our members and what our members feel is important to be highlighted when statements are prepared. To gather that information and gauge interest in serving on the RINGO committee that drafts these statements, please fill out this survey.

Development of Statements/Interventions

Constituencies are now invited to deliver many statements (also known as interventions) at the COPs and at the subsidiary body meetings in Bonn.  The Steering Committee wants to open the drafting process, and encourage more RINGOs to help draft and deliver statements. Please continue reading to understand our new process and learn how you can be involved.

How will the new system work?

  • If you are interested in providing suggested content or would like to join a drafting committee for a statement for the upcoming meeting, please attend a RINGO meeting. At these meetings, we will gauge interest and form drafting committees.
  • The steering committee will designate one person to take the lead for each statement. We will be looking for articulate writers and speakers familiar with the content of the body for which the statement is intended.  The person selected may draft the statement alone or invite partners to help.
  • The draft statement must be submitted to the steering committee at least two days prior to the statement date for approval. The steering committee reserves the right to change any aspect of the statement to make sure it complies with RINGOs policies, or to cancel the statement if it is not provided in time for review, advocates for a particular position, or otherwise does not appear to represent the interests of the RINGOs.
  • The lead person will be expected to deliver the statement or to find another RINGO to do it, and to help that person rehearse. The person who delivers the statement MUST be credentialed by a RINGO organization (this is a UNFCCC secretariat rule).

Guidelines:

A statement should…

  • Be no more than two minutes in length. Slightly longer statements may be posted on the web, but the oral statement must be well under a page long.
  • Please see the Statements page for RINGO statements that have been presented at previous meetings.
  • Focus on one or more issues on the agenda of the group to which the statement is to be made. Statements to the COP can be more general.  Statements to the APA, CMA, SBI, or SBSTA should be tailored to the work of those groups.
  • Explain what the RINGOs can do to assist with that work.
  • Talk about collaboration with other constituencies, research institutions, governments, local communities, civil society.
  • Discuss current knowledge, such as a new IPCC report, that is relevant to the issues.
  • Identify relevant research gaps.
  • Invite parties to consult with us and to include us on relevant committees and task forces.
  • Express our willingness to contribute.
  • Propose creative ways to apply research to the negotiations, and to implementation of the Paris Agreement.

Important RINGO Information:

What RINGOs do as individual members:

  • We study just about any aspect of climate change—physical, social, and natural sciences; communications; law; ethics; philosophy; engineering; public health; policy, etc.
  • We write and speak to many different audiences about climate change.
  • We teach and train people at all levels about the causes and impacts of climate change.
  • We provide a bridge between science and decision makers.
  • We analyze the social, economic, environmental, ethical, and other dimensions of programs and policies relating to climate change.
  • We apply skills and knowledge to design programs and policies to solve problems.
  • We assess needs.
  • We evaluate programs and policies.
  • We advise parties about issues under negotiations.
  • We suggest elements of enabling environments to promote innovation, attract funding, develop and implement new technologies …

What we do as a constituency:

  • We serve as a conduit for information between the secretariat and our individual and organization members.
  • We orient members to what is happening in the negotiations.
  • We select members to attend meetings of various UNFCCC bodies and committees.
  • We suggest speakers for meetings on various topics.
  • We nominate members to serve on task forces and other groups.
  • We provide input into various planning processes.
  • We provide opportunities for networking among members.

What we avoid as a constituency:

  • Advocating for a particular point of view in the negotiations.
  • Individuals may advocate for particular issues, but the RINGOs represent a wide range of viewpoints, and we try to maintain group neutrality.
  • We do advocate for decisions grounded in sound science, and for strong education, but we otherwise do not take a stand on what should be done.
  • We advocate collaboration with other groups, but we do not explicitly advocate for the interests of the other constituencies.