Summary of the Current status/situation
An email someone sent on one of the climate list-serves yesterday probably summed it up nicely: “I feel like I’m waiting for Godot.” Others felt reminded of the movie Groundhog Day, where every day is exactly the same. Rather than movies or plays, however, they were talking about the next round of UN climate talks that had kicked off in Bonn. Or had they? That was what we were all wondering about, as we heard about all day bickering about agendas behind the scenes, and as opening plenaries got delayed, and delayed further, and delayed till today. Okay, if this was just a movie, and fine, if this was only a play. But aren’t these talks about the future of people and nature on this funky planet?
But first things first: the negotiations in Bonn are the second meeting this year following a first round of talks in Bangkok in April. Countries left Bangkok with an agreed agenda of issues to work through this year on the LCA (Long-term Cooperative Action) track, and with a strong message from developing countries on how important it is to agree a second commitment period for the KP (Kyoto Protocol) at COP17 in Durban this December. So here in Bonn they are supposed to work on the basis of this agenda, making some substantial progress on operationalizing the Cancun Agreement, while dealing with the key issues Cancun left open (like the future of the KP, and stronger emission targets).
By now, discussions within four tracks should have all started. The two permanent technical bodies, the SBI (Subsidiary Body on Implementation) and SBSTA (Subsidiary Body on Scientific and Technological Advice) that have begun yesterday had spent a long time discussing… er… yes, agendas. While the SBSTA finally agreed on a way forward, the SBI only got to this point today around noon. The problem? Well, as usual Saudi Arabia is trying to keep their request for compensation from oil sale losses within discussions on adaptation of vulnerable countries to climate change. Another rather procedural agenda debate was on whether transparency discussions (Measurement, Reporting & Verification, or short: MRV) should be discussed in this technical forum or in the more top-line and political LCA.
At least the KP plenary today started pretty much as scheduled and ran smoothly. A good omen for the subsequent LCA plenary? Monday probably saw the typical start of an average UNFCCC meeting, so Tuesday really must be about shaking loose the Bangkok blues and getting into working mode. Important stuff needs to get done by 17 June. Most importantly, it is expected that developing countries will again raise the grave importance of ensuring no gap between the first and second commitment periods of the Kyoto Protocol these days. As the Kyoto Protocol is the only legally binding agreement on climate change and as it commits developed countries to reducing their emissions, it looks like Bonn can’t duck this one.
What is happening?
About 60 journalists had registered for this inter-sessional, and about a third of them actually made it to Bonn for opening day. So we had all the major international wires in the room for the first NGO press conference that the GCCA team helped put together, and with speakers from Greenpeace, Oxfam and WWF on the panel we managed to convey some important messages: how urgent progress is in light of the recent IEA data about a huge increase in global emissions, and how possible progress is in light of the recent IPCC report on renewable energies potential. We outlined civil society expectations for the two weeks here, put Bonn in the context of COP17 in Durban this December, amplified some of the great statements recently issued by Christiana Figueres (e.g. on 1.5˚C), and highlighted the encouraging news about Germany’s impressive clean energy plans and Japan’s intentions to stick to fairly ambitious mitigation targets.
The NGO story that got biggest traction here was Oxfam’s launch of data by the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) that compares mitigation efforts in developed and developing countries. Oxfam estimates that over 60% of emissions cuts by 2020 are likely to be made by developing countries, i.e. they will likely do more than developed countries. The SEI figures show that China’s total emissions reductions could be nearly double those of the US by 2020, and that the emissions reductions of developing countries could be three times greater than those of the EU by 2020. Also by 2020, the emission reductions of China, India, South Africa and Brazil - the BASIC countries – could be slightly greater than the combined efforts of the 7 biggest developed countries – the US, Europe, Japan, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Russia.
However, while we made it into some of the Bonn opening pieces with our messages, the overall headlines weren’t necessarily helpful, as they focused on the continued stalemate and low expectations for Durban. Working with the great folks at UKYCC and other youth networks, we are trying to send a little signal to negotiators this afternoon, wearing and distributing little stickers on our shirts that say “Agenda Item 1: Let’s Move On!”. We thought as long as negotiators are stuck on agendas, something pointing out the slow progress should be stuck on them. There are hardly any communicators and campaigners from GCCA partner organizations around, and the journalists will leave soon before they return for the last few days of the conference, but with the small resources and big enthusiasm we have we’ll try to stage some direct actions to wake up the delegates. The UKYCC team gave them a first idea of their energy and creativity last night when they staged the Fossil of the Day ceremony, handing over the prestigious award to Saudi Arabia. Let’s just say this much to give you the idea: Some people have voices that are impossible to ignore.
What you can do today?
If all that people hear about UN climate talks is about words like “stuck” or “failed”, people out there will get a sense that we are doomed, and that’s not exactly what encourages you to engage and take action. Use the talking points to tell your audiences the story about all the good stuff that’s going on, and some other great resources to let them know why these talks matter and what they should deliver.
A few other relevant materials
AP: Expiry of emissions pact in 2012 bedevils talks
REUTERS: U.N. says climate talks will miss Kyoto deadline
AFP: ‘Bad news’ on warming should spur UN talks: climate chief
XINHUA: UN climate talks reopen amid concerns over emission rise
Bloomberg: Kyoto Protocol Faces Gap After Emissions Targets End, UN Chief Says
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