Transcript DEVELOPMENTS ON CLIMATE OBSERVATIONS AND RELATED NEEDS UNDER THE UNFCCC GCOS Steering Committee, 18th session Geneva, 27 Sept – 1 October 2010 Rocio Lichte, Programme.

DEVELOPMENTS ON CLIMATE
OBSERVATIONS AND RELATED NEEDS
UNDER THE UNFCCC
GCOS Steering Committee, 18th session
Geneva, 27 Sept – 1 October 2010
Rocio Lichte, Programme Officer
UNFCCC secretariat, Adaptation, Technology and Science
Outline
1. Research and systematic observation
2. Adaptation: Nairobi work programme
3. Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest
degradation in developing countries
4. Discussions under the AWG-LCA related to data &
observations – way to Cancun
5. Needs under UNFCCC – possible role of GCOS
Research and systematic observation
COP 15: Decison on systematic climate observations (9/CP.15)
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appreciation for report on progress with the GCOS implementation plan
recognizes significant progress in improving the observing systems for
climate, but also the limitations re continuity, gaps and needs
Parties & UN agencies and organizations to work towards addressing
the priorities and gaps identified in progress report
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Invites the GCOS to update the GCOS implementation plan taking
into account emerging needs in climate observations (adaptation)
activities
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GTOS: encouraged to implement framework for terrestrial observations
as UN & ISO joint mechanism between relevant UN agencies & ISO
CEOS: encouraged to continue coordinating & supporting
implementation of the satellite component of the GCOS
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Research and systematic observation
SBSTA 32: Research Dialogue
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who: Parties and regional and international research programmes and
organizations active in climate change research, and IPCC
what: developments in research activities relevant to the Convention,
including emerging scientific findings, research needs & priories by
Parties
Next:
• further enhance interaction between the science and policy
communities/ strengthen research dialogue
• engage observation programmes in this dialogue
progress developing the GFCS welcomed:
• WMO invited to report on progress under the research dialogue
• Next activities related to research dialogue: SBSTA 34 (June 2011)
Research and systematic observation
SBSTA 33 (Cancun, 30 Nov – 4 Dec 2010)
Issues for consideration relevant to global observations:
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Updated Implementation Plan for the Global Observing System for Climate
in support of the UNFCCC (from GCOS), FCCC/SBSTA/2010/MISC.9;
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Progress with climate-related terrestrial observations and related
activities (e.g. terrestrial ECVs) (from GTOS), FCCC/SBSTA/2010/MISC.10;
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Progress in the coordinated response by space agencies involved in
global observations to GCOS and UNFCCC needs (from CEOS),
FCCC/SBSTA/2010/MISC.11.
• Feedback from Parties, follow-up actions (conclusions by SBSTA)
→ time frame for seeing new elements implemented and report on
advances?
Nairobi work programme on impacts, vulnerability and adaptation to climate change
Major recent activities: Technical workshops on
• collaboration among regional centres & networks doing work relevant to
climate change
• potential costs and benefits of adaptation options
Main outcomes re climate data & observations, modelling, scenarios & downscaling:
• Institutional capacity for analysis & interpretation of data and forecasting
• Local data (social, economic, climate) to validate global models & climate
data
• Closer collaboration between providers & users of data and information
• Linking regional centres & networks with ongoing climate service networks
and initiatives
• Increased cooperation in knowledge management at the regional level,
e.g. through regional centres, develop regional cooperation mechanisms
Next: SBSTA 33 (Cancun): review of effectiveness of the NWP
NWP Focal point forum
REDUCING EMISSIONS FROM DEFORESTATION & FOREST DEGRADATION
Methodological guidance for activities relating to reducing emissions from deforestation
and forest degradation and the role of conservation, sustainable management of
forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks in developing countries.” (4/CP.15)
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For estimating forest-related GHG emissions & removals, forest carbon stocks
and forest area changes, use:
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most recent IPCC guidance and guidelines
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combination of remote sensing and ground-based forest carbon inventory
approaches
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Establish national forest monitoring systems: robust, transparent, according to
national circumstances (consistency, reduction of uncertainties, results suitable for
review)
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forest reference emission levels & forest reference levels: transparently taking into
account historic data and adjusted for national circumstances
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Capacity building: Encouragement to strengthen capacities of developing countries to
collect and access, analyse and interpret data, for developing estimates
REDD+ under the AWG-LCA
(REDD+ refers to “Policy approaches and positive incentives on issues relating to reducing
emissions from deforestation and forest degradation; and the role of conservation,
sustainable management of forest and enhancement of forest C stocks in developing
countries”)
On-going discussions/considerations on REDD+ addresses:
Scope of activities, guiding principles and safeguards; Phased-approach for implementation
Means of implementation, Measurement, Reporting and Verification (MRV) of actions (e.g.
establishing reference emission levels, national monitoring systems, use of IPCC guidelines)
BUT:
A number of key issues still remain to be agreed, e.g.
- Scope and safeguards
-The link between MRV of actions and support
-Elements required for implementation, e.g. national forest reference emission level, national
forest monitoring system (if and when develop details of modalities);
Disclaimer: Negotiations are in process. The present slides are based on the current versions of the
relevant draft texts, only presenting information on issues under discussion.
Developments under the Bali Action Plan on long-term cooperative action on
climate change (AWG-LCA discussions) – elements relevant to observations
Copenhagen Accord (excerpt)
-Increase in global av. Temp: below 2 degrees C
- assessment of this goal by 2015 taking into account science (including consideration of
strengthening long-term goal, 1.5C)
Latest negotiating text (AWG-LCA): some views from Parties on matters relevant to climate
information and systematic observation
-Encourage to support the further development & implementation of the GFCS
-review of the long-term goal: take into account best available science, observed impacts;
-Enhancing adaptation action under the proposed Adaptation Framework [for Implementation]
-Strengthening data, information & knowledge systems,
-Improving climate-related research & systematic observation for climate data collection,
archiving, analysis and modeling for improved climate-related data and information to decisionmakers at national and regional levels (incl capacity building).
•Strengthening existing institutional arrangements and expertise to support the implementation
of the proposed Adaptation Framework (incl.components for enhanced systematic
observation and information management activities; consider need for new institutional
arrangements
Disclaimer: Negotiations are in process. The present slides are based on the current versions of the
relevant draft texts, only presenting information on issues under discussion.
Work under the AWG-LCA: towards Cancun
AWG-LCA: emerging architecture
Private
finance
Public
finance
Finance and technology
Adaptation
Mitigation
Developed
countries
commitments
Enabling activities
Developing
country actions
Adaptation action
Risk sharing
Monitoring, reporting and verification
Disclaimer: Negotiations are in process. The present slides are based on the current versions of the
relevant draft texts, only presenting information on issues under discussion.
Major needs called for under UNFCCC requiring observational basis
Needs identified under UNFCCC that can benefit from enhanced GCOS
activities:
-Best available science
→ → → review by 2015
-Reduction of uncertainty in scientific information
-Improved models, projections, forecasting
-More robust IPCC assessments (IPCC TGICA )
-Products and services (e.g. GFCS) readily available to users & decision-makers
-Analysis and interpretation of data & observations
-Stronger regional focus: regional and local data & observations (adaptation)
Underlying requirement: high-quality observations of climate (incl ECVs in all domains) on a
systematic and continuous basis
Disclaimer: Negotiations are in process. The present slides are based on the current versions of the
relevant draft texts, presenting only information on issues under discussion.