Photoblog: Day 4 at the Bonn climate talks - consultations & mitigation

This photoblog is the fourth piece of a series providing short reports from the Bonn climate talks. Read the previous photoblog here.

During the fourth day of the Bonn climate talks, negotiators spent most of the day discussing mitigation, both in relation to the need to increase short-term ambition to fill the mitigation gap and as an element of the future global climate agreement.

During the roundtable on the need to raise short-term mitigation, the Kenyan delegate reminded developed countries that the first logical step to do so would be for the developed countries to raise the level of ambition of their commitments.

The nomination of John Kerry as US State Secretary, who had been actively engaged in efforts to obtain a new climate legislation in the US, led many observers to hope that the country will engage more constructively in the talks. Kerry’s arrival at the State department was followed by the nomination of a new lead negotiator for the US delegation: Trigg Talley (see here for my critical appraisal of the US position).

During the lunch break, the co-chairs of the ADP hosted a consultation with stakeholders. This event was presented as the most important opportunity for civil society to share its perspectives and expectations, including on social media. The co-chairs (and Christiana Figueres for part of the session) listened to the visions and hopes for the climate negotiations from colleagues representing a wide range of communities and groups, from farmers to women organizations, including environmental NGOs, trade unions and local governments.

Luke Kemp, speaking for YOUNGO - the youth constituency at the climate talks, explained the importance to consider equity not only among nations but also from an intergenerational equity perspective. He offered a concrete proposal to make this possible in practical terms at the UNFCCC.

Discussions in the afternoon offered the opportunity for more countries to share their views on the topic of the day. The EU for instance detailed a little further its proposal of a “spectrum of commitment” to be agreed in the new climate deal.

Among the most hardworking observers attending every single negotiating session: the Earth Negotiation Bulletin (ENB) team of iisd prepare daily reports of the negotiations (a report covering all the week was released shortly after the end of the session) as well as a very useful daily overview of some of the key moments.