Transcript Slide 1

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS ON THE WORK OF
SUBSIDIARY BODIES:
ACHIEVEMENTS AND CHALLENGES
NATIONAL CONSULTATIVE SEMINAR ON CLIMATE
CHANGE
28-29 NOVEMBER 2011
OVERVIEW
1. LEGAL BASIS OF THE NEGOTIATIONS
2. DEVELOPMENTS POST BALI
3. DEVELOPMENTS IN 2011
4. KEY ISSUES UNDER THE AWGs
5. BALANCES IN THE NEGOTIATIONS
1. LEGAL BASIS OF THE NEGOTIATIONS[1]
• The international regime for climate change is guided by
the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on
Climate Change (UNFCCC)
• The UNFCCC obliges all nations in Art 4.1 to undertake
emission reductions and adaptation activities, recognising
in Art 3.1 that developed countries should take lead
•
The Kyoto Protocol of 1998 is an instrument for emission
reduction commitments by Annex 1 Parties with a
compliance mechanism bringing to effect Art 3.1
provisions
1. LEGAL BASIS OF THE NEGOTIATIONS [2]
• The Convention established two Subsidiary Bodies with
report to the CoP and CMP annually, Subsidiary Body for
Implementation (SBI) to facilitate implementation of the Convention;
and the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice
(SBSTA) to evaluate technical issues requiring further elaboration
• The Bali Roadmap also established two Ad Hoc Working
Groups, on the Kyoto Protocol (AWG-KP) to negotiate further
commitments of Annex 1 Parties and on Long-term Cooperative Action
(AWG-LCA ) to negotiate an agreed outcome under the Convention
• Internationally, Parties meet on an annual basis, as such
South Africa is hosting two Conferences, Conference of
Parties to the UNFCCC (CoP) and the Meeting of Parties to the Kyoto
Protocol (CMP)
2. DEVELOPMENTS POST BALI [1]
• The key political issues going to Copenhagen and Cancun
were, the creation of a comparable regime for the USA as it did not
ratify the Kyoto Protocol, and an elaboration of mitigation actions and
their MRV by developed countries under the LCA; agreement on the
2nd Commitment Period of the KP
• The work could not be concluded at CoP15/CMP5, partly
due to the global shift in global power and economics, leading to
developed countries demanding symmetry from some middle income
countries, and legal form of the LCA negotiations was not concluded
• Copenhagen talks noted a political undertaking reflected in
the Copenhagen Accord covering, Green Climate Fund, $30bn
for 2010-2013 fast start finance package, $100bn annually by 2020,
mitigation actions and transparency (ICA), adaptation
2. DEVELOPMENTS POST BALI[2]
• CoP16/CMP6 in Cancun managed to put back on track the
multilateral negotiations, with three types of decisions:
• Areas of convergence, especially institutional architecture such
as the Green Climate Fund, Technology Mechanism and
Adaptation Framework
• Areas of agreement setting a process to elaborate the
governance and operational procedures of these institutions by
CoP17/CMP7
• Areas with no full agreement, include legal form of the AWGLCA outcome, 2nd Commitment Period under Kyoto Protocol,
LULUCF, IPR, etc were transferred to CoP17/CMP7
3. DEVELOPMENTS IN 2011 [1]
• The first intersessional meeting held in April, Bangkok
deliberated on the mandate for negotiation as to whether
its Bali or Cancun, compromise was setting an agenda that
covers both the Cancun elements and the Bali Action Plan
• The second meetings held in June in Bonn saw slow
progress on technical issues while the more central and
difficult aspects of the Cancun or Bali decisions did not
progress as well
• The third meeting was in October in Panama where the
focus was on generating negotiating text for Durban, with
text ranging from being compilation of views, facilitators
notes and negotiation text
3. DEVELOPMENTS IN 2011 [2]
• The operationalisation of Cancun started with the election
of GCF Transitional Committee members, Minister Manuel
elected to co-Chair with Mexico and Norway.
• The first meeting of Tech Exec Committee took place 3-4
Sep in Bonn where modalities of the Committee were
discussed
• DEA hosted 3 Africa Group of Negotiators’ meetings to
chart Africa Common Negotiating Position, and the
African Ministerial Conference on the Environment
(AMCEN) adopted the Africa common position in
September
4. KEY ISSUES UNDER THE AWGs [1]
• Arrival at an equitable burden sharing of emission
reductions in relation to the global goal, peaking and
means of implementation
• Fragmentation of adaptation with Cancun having
delivered Adaptation Committee, but not how the
Adaptation Framework facilitates implementation of
adaptation actions
• The design of the Green Climate Fund and the sources of
long-term finance as well as increasing finance from fast
finance levels to the envisaged $100bn/ annum by 2020
4. KEY ISSUES UNDER THE AWGs [2]
• On mitigation the issues are the conversion of pledges to
commitments for Annex 1 Parties and their understanding
for non-Annex 1 Parties; and
the associated
transparency provisions and rules
• Legal form of the LCA negotiations, as Kyoto Protocol
Parties condition the 2nd Commitment Period to the work
of the LCA culminating in a legally binding agreement
• Under the Kyoto Protocol other than technical issues, the
major political issue is agreement on the 2nd commitment
period of the KP, whilst avoiding a legal gap between the
commitment periods
5. BALANCES IN THE NEGOTIATIONS [1]
• The key issues facing climate change pertain to how the
multilateral regime should reflect fairness, and it means
different things for different Parties, e.g.
• Effective limitation of global temperature rise particularly
for survival of SIDS and Africa
• Harnessing the non-KP Parties to ensure a fair regime
amongst developed countries by the EU
• Space and time for development by developing countries
especially middle income countries, e.g. BASIC
• Economic and social consequences of response
measures to fossil fuel dependant economies, e.g. OPEC
• Prioritisation of adaptation particularly for natural resource
dependant economies especially in Africa
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