Multilateralism Saved, for now

Posted on 14. Dec, 2010 by joannadafoe in Canada, Feature

In the early hours of Saturday morning, countries reached a near-unanimous decision on a negotiating text at the UN conference on climate change in Cancun. These decisions, now known as the Cancun Agreements, offer some practical developments on issues relating to finance, adaptation, and accountability.

To be sure, the 147 paragraphs in the Cancun Agreements do not offer any groundbreaking direction on climate leadership. But instead, the modest gains achieved offer a lifeline for the multilateral climate process.

The Cancun Agreements

A Green Climate Fund was established to ensure that climate financing for mitigation and adaptation in developing countries is “accountable to and functions under the guidance of the Conference of the Parties” (paragraph 16). The World Bank will be the interim trustee of this bank but subject to review three years after the Fund is established.

An Adaptation Framework was developed that takes into account “country-driven, gender-sensitive, participatory and fully transparent approach, taking into consideration vulnerable groups, communities and ecosystems” (paragraph 12). On February 21^st 2011, countries will submit proposals to the UNFCCC Secretariat on how to enhance work for adaptation; this includes an option to develop a climate risk insurance facility.

Progress was also made on efforts to measure, report, and verify (MRV) efforts on climate change from both developed and developing countries. An MRV decision helps to hold countries accountable to claims they make on domestic climate change efforts, which can be otherwise unsubstantiated.

One area that remains sorely stagnant at the UNFCCC is that of mitigation. While many industrialized countries are eager to extend mitigation efforts under the Copenhagen Accord (praised by major emitting countries for its voluntary nature), there has been no enhanced gesture towards deepening mitigation targets. A report by UNEP calculates that even if countries fully reach voluntary targets set in the Copenhagen Accord, there is still a sobering gap of 5 gigatonnes of CO2 equivalent between the pledged targets and the CO2 reduction needed to stay below 2 degrees warming.

By next year, countries need to restate a willingness to set emissions reductions targets. This must be anchored in a treaty that is legally binding and based according to a country’s economic capacity and their historical responsibility in creating the climate problem.

A lifeline for multilateralism

Coming into Cancun, many observers and negotiators feared that multilateral efforts can not effectively deal with the climate problem. However, the Cancun Agreements bolstered a much-needed sense of multilateral efficacy. One of the many hopeful comments made during the midnight hour plenary was captured by the Zambian negotiator who said to meeting chair Minister Espinosa, “thank you for lifting our spirits from the depression of Copenhagen; you have restored our trust in multilateralism.”

Amidst the applause and ovation in the Friday meeting, the Bolivian Delegation was quick to point out the insufficient gains made at the UNFCCC. Bolivia’s ambassador described the Cancun Agreements as “a hollow and false victory.”

But the general sentiment from most delegates, including those from small island states and least developed countries, is that multilateralism lives to see another day.

The UNFCCC will continue to be the primary home for climate decisions, much to the dismay of those countries pushing for World Bank or G20 venues. The task now is to accelerate the political will of major industrialized countries so that a global treaty can be reached next year. The race to the future is on.

Tags: Cancún, COP16, espinosa, featured, multilateralism, summary, UNFCCC