The UNFCCC Process

Trish Harrup, Greenpeace

The Convention

• UN Framework Convention on Climate Change • Signed by Heads of State at Rio Earth Summit 1992 • 192 Nations have ratified the Convention • Including USA

Objective of the Convention

• Article 2: Ultimate objective: to achieve the stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would

prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference

with the climate system

Principles of the Convention

• Article 3:

common but differentiated responsibilities

and respective capabilities…developed country Parties should take the lead in combating climate change and the adverse effects thereof

UNFCCC Structure

• Conference of the Parties (COP) – establishes yearly meetings to review progress and make further decisions • UNFCCC Secretariat • Two Subsidiary Bodies • SBSTA Scientific and Technical Advice – focus on setting policy • SBI Implementation –how to implement

Commitments of the Convention

• Developed countries to return their emissions to 1990 levels by the year 2000

Kyoto Protocol

• Adopted in 1997 • Industrialized countries committed to reduce their combined emissions

by at least 5%

compared to 1990 levels by the period 2008-2012 • Legally binding

Negotiating Groups

• European Union (EU) – 27 countries, Sweden currently holds the Presidency • G77 plus China - >130 developing countries, includes sub groupings – AOSIS – OPEC – LDCs – AU

Negotiating Groups continued

• Umbrella group – Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Russia, Ukraine, Iceland • Environmental Integrity Group – Switzerland, Mexico, South Korea

Plenary Contact groups Closed contact group Statements from Parties Agree agenda Allocate time Most negotiating Friends of the chair Take disputes into a small group if negotiating stalls Closed contact group Contact Group New text Media / Public record Lead negotiators NGO observers No media NGO observers No NGOs Only “pink” badge Negotiators with disputes Open to NGOs Plenary Once agreed or to force dispute onto public record All

Bali Action Plan

• Agreed a two year work plan to get to outcome at COP 15 • Established two processes – AWGKP – future commitments for Annex 1 – AWGLCA – long term vision, developing countries

2009

• AWG LCA • Draft negotiating text released in May • By the end of Bonn II in June • 200 pages • 2,500 brackets

2009

• AWG KP • Still no negotiating text • Chairs text

Meeting schedule

• Bangkok – 28 September to 9 October • Barcelona – 2 to 6 November • Copenhagen COP – 7 to18 December • COPbis

Other international Fora

• MEF – Major Economies Forum – little progress, no A1 target • G8 – limit temperature rise to no more than 2 degrees C and cut 80% by 2050 • G20 – Climate finance • UN Summit on CC – Heads of State