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Earth Negotiations Bulletin
Published by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD)Vol. 12 No. 567 Tuesday, 11 December 2012
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A Reporting Service for Environment and Development Negotiations
Online at http://www.iisd.ca/climate/cop18/enb/
COP 18
FINAL
http://enb.iisd.mobi/
SUMMARY OF THE DOHA CLIMATE CHANGE CONFERENCE: 26 NOVEMBER – 8 DECEMBER 2012
The United Nations Climate Change Conference in Doha, Qatar, took place from 26 November to 8 December 2012. It included the eighteenth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 18) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the eighth session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP 8). The conference also included meetings by five subsidiary bodies: the thirty-seventh sessions of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA 37) and the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI 37), the second part of the seventeenth session of the
Ad hoc
Working Group on Further Commitments for Annex I Parties under the Kyoto Protocol (AWG-KP 17), the second part of the fifteenth session of the
Ad hoc
Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action under the UNFCCC (AWG-LCA 15) and the second part of the
Ad hoc
Working Group on the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action (ADP 1).Marking the first time that UN climate change negotiations took place in the Middle East, the conference drew approximately 9,000 participants, including 4,356 government officials, 3,956 representatives of UN bodies and agencies, intergovernmental organizations and civil society organizations, and 683 members of the media. Negotiations in Doha focused on ensuring the implementation of agreements reached at previous conferences. The package of “Doha Climate Gateway” decisions adopted on the evening of Saturday, 8 December, included amendments to the Kyoto Protocol to establish its second commitment period. Having been launched at CMP 1 in 2005, the AWG-KP terminated its work in Doha. The parties also agreed to terminate the AWG-LCA and negotiations under the Bali Action Plan. Key elements of the outcome also included agreement to consider loss and damage, “such as” institutional mechanism to address loss and damage in developing countries that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change. While developing countries and observers expressed disappointment with the lack of ambition in outcomes on Annex I countries’ mitigation and finance, most agreed that the conference had paved the way for a new phase, focusing on the implementation of the outcomes from negotiations under the AWG-KP and AWG-LCA, and advancing negotiations under the ADP.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE UNFCCC AND THE KYOTO PROTOCOL
The international political response to climate change began with the adoption of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 1992, which sets out a framework for action aimed at stabilizing atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases (GHGs) to avoid “dangerous
IN THIS ISSUE
A Brief History of the UNFCCC and the Kyoto Protocol .1Report of the Doha Climate Change Conference . . . . . . . .3 Conference of the Parties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Conference of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 COP 18 and CMP 8 Joint High-level Segment . . . . . . . .8
Ad Hoc
Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action under the UNFCCC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Ad Hoc
Working Group on Further Commitments for Annex I Parties under the Kyoto Protocol . . . . . . . . . .13
Ad Hoc
Working Group on the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Subsidiary Body for Implementation . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22A Brief Analysis of the Doha Climate Change Conference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26Upcoming Meetings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30
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anthropogenic interference” with the climate system. The Convention, which entered into force on 21 March 1994, now has 195 parties.In December 1997, delegates to COP 3 in Kyoto, Japan, agreed to a Protocol to the UNFCCC that commits industrialized countries and countries in transition to a market economy (EITs) to achieve emission reduction targets. These countries, known as Annex I parties under the UNFCCC, agreed to reduce their overall emissions of six greenhouse gases by an average of 5% below 1990 levels between 2008-2012 (first commitment period), with specific targets varying from country to country. The Kyoto Protocol entered into force on 16 February 2005 and now has 192 parties.
LONG-TERM NEGOTIATIONS IN 2005-2009:
Convening in Montreal, Canada, at the end of 2005, the first session of the CMP decided to establish the AWG-KP under Protocol Article 3.9, which mandates consideration of Annex I parties’ further commitments at least seven years before the end of the first commitment period. COP 11 created a process to consider long-term cooperation under the Convention through a series of four workshops known as “the Convention Dialogue.”In December 2007, COP 13 and CMP 3 in Bali, Indonesia, resulted in agreement on the Bali Roadmap on long-term issues. COP 13 adopted the Bali Action Plan and established the AWG-LCA with a mandate to focus on mitigation, adaptation, finance, technology and a shared vision for long-term cooperative action. Negotiations on Annex I parties’ further commitments continued under the AWG-KP. The deadline for concluding the two-track negotiations was in Copenhagen in 2009. In preparation, both AWGs held several negotiating sessions in 2008-2009.
COPENHAGEN:
The UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, took place in December 2009. The high- profile event was marked by disputes over transparency and process. During the high-level segment, informal negotiations took place in a group consisting of major economies and representatives of regional and other negotiating groups. Late in the evening of 18 December these talks resulted in a political agreement: the “Copenhagen Accord,” which was then presented to the COP plenary for adoption. After 13 hours of debate, delegates ultimately agreed to “take note” of the Copenhagen Accord. In 2010, over 140 countries indicated support for the Accord. More than 80 countries also provided information on their national mitigation targets or actions. Parties also agreed to extend the mandates of the AWG-LCA and AWG-KP until COP 16 and CMP 6.
CANCUN:
The UN Climate Change Conference in Cancun, Mexico, took place in December 2010, where parties finalized the Cancun Agreements. Under the Convention track, Decision 1/CP.16 recognized the need for deep cuts in global emissions in order to limit global average temperature rise to 2°C. Parties agreed to keep the global long-term goal under regular review and consider strengthening it during a review by 2015, including in relation to a proposed 1.5°C target. They took note of emission reduction targets and nationally appropriate mitigation actions (NAMAs) communicated by developed and developing countries, respectively (FCCC/SB/2011/INF.1/Rev.1 and FCCC/AWGLCA/2011/INF.1, both issued after Cancun). Decision 1/CP.16 also addressed other aspects of mitigation, such as: measuring, reporting and verification (MRV); and reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation in developing countries, including conservation (REDD+).The Cancun Agreements also established several new institutions and processes, including the Cancun Adaptation Framework and the Adaptation Committee, and the Technology Mechanism, which includes the Technology Executive Committee (TEC) and the Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN). The Green Climate Fund (GCF) was created and designated as a new operating entity of the Convention’s financial mechanism governed by a 24-member board. Parties agreed to set up a Transitional Committee tasked with the Fund’s design and a Standing Committee to assist the COP with respect to the financial mechanism. Parties also recognized the commitment by developed countries to provide US$30 billion of fast-start finance in 2010-2012, and to jointly mobilize US$100 billion per year by 2020.Under the Protocol track, the CMP urged Annex I parties to raise the level of ambition towards achieving aggregate emission reductions consistent with the range identified in the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), and adopted Decision 2/CMP.6 on land use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF). The mandates of the two AWGs were extended for another year.
DURBAN:
The UN Climate Change Conference in Durban, South Africa, took place from 28 November to 11 December 2011. The Durban outcomes cover a wide range of topics, notably the establishment of a second commitment period under the Kyoto Protocol, a decision on long-term cooperative action under the Convention and agreement on the operationalization of the GCF. Parties also agreed to launch the new ADP with a mandate “to develop a protocol, another legal instrument or an agreed outcome with legal force under the Convention applicable to all Parties.” The ADP is scheduled to complete negotiations by 2015. The outcome should enter into effect from 2020 onwards.
BONN CLIMATE CHANGE CONFERENCE 2012:
This meeting took place from 14-25 May 2012 in Bonn, Germany. The conference comprised the 36th sessions of the SBI and SBSTA. It also included AWG-LCA 15, AWG-KP 17 and the first session of the ADP. Under the AWG-KP, the focus was on issues to be finalized for adopting a second commitment period under the Kyoto Protocol and for the AWG-KP to conclude its work at CMP 8. Many outstanding questions remained, including the length of the second commitment period under the Kyoto Protocol and carry-over of surplus units.Under the AWG-LCA, debates continued on which issues require consideration so that the AWG-LCA can finalize its work at COP 18. Developed countries stressed “significant progress” and the various new institutions established in Cancun and Durban. Some developing countries identified the need to continue discussing issues required to fulfill the Bali Action Plan mandate.Under the ADP, discussions centered on the agenda and the election of officers. After nearly two weeks of discussions, the ADP plenary agreed on the Bureau arrangements and adopted the agenda, initiating two work streams: one addressing matters related to paragraphs 2-6 of Decision 1/CP.17 (post-2020 regime)
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and the other addressing paragraphs 7-8 (enhancing the level of ambition during the pre-2020 period), and agreed on the election of officers.
BANGKOK CLIMATE CHANGE TALKS 2012:
This informal session took place from 30 August - 5 September 2012 in Bangkok, Thailand. Under the ADP, parties convened in roundtable sessions to discuss their vision and aspirations for the ADP, the desired results and how these results can be achieved. Parties also discussed how to enhance ambition, the role of means of implementation and how to strengthen international cooperative initiatives, as well as the elements that could frame the ADP’s work.The AWG-KP focused on resolving outstanding issues to ensure successful completion of the group’s work in Doha by recommending an amendment to the CMP for adoption. This would allow a second commitment period under the Protocol to start immediately from 1 January 2013. The AWG-KP produced informal papers outlining the elements for a Doha decision adopting amendments to the Kyoto Protocol.The AWG-LCA continued working on practical solutions to fulfill specific mandates from COP 17. The focus was on outcomes needed to conclude the group’s work in Doha, how to reflect the elements in the final outcome of the AWG-LCA and whether additional work might be required beyond COP 18.
REPORT OF THE DOHA CLIMATE CHANGE CONFERENCE
COP 18 and CMP 8 opened on Monday morning, 26 November 2012.
COP 17 President Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, South Africa, urged delegates to: adopt a second commitment period under the Kyoto Protocol; complete work under the AWG-LCA; and find appropriate space to undertake other work under the COP, subsidiary bodies or new institutions. She stated that it would be a “step backwards for the ADP to become the AWG-LCA under a new name.” UNFCCC Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres stressed that COP 18 will be unique in marking the end of the first commitment period and launching the next one and will move the Bali Action Plan from design to full and effective implementation. She urged work on a future framework that ensures equity and responds to science, and challenged delegates to find common ground.This report summarizes the discussions by the COP, CMP, AWG-LCA, AWG-KP, ADP, SBI and SBSTA based on their respective agendas. Negotiations and outcomes under the COP and CMP on issues forwarded to the SBI, SBSTA, AWG-KP, AWG-LCA and ADP are summarized in the context of negotiations under the relevant subsidiary body.
CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES
On Monday, 26 November, Abdullah bin Hamad Al-Attiyah, Deputy Prime Minister, Qatar, was elected COP 18/CMP 8 President by acclamation. He noted the challenge posed by seven bodies convening in Doha and called on delegates to agree to a second commitment period under the Kyoto Protocol, finish work started in Bali and achieve progress on work undertaken in Durban.
ORGANIZATIONAL MATTERS:
Adoption of the agenda: Parties agreed to proceed based on the provisional agenda (FCCC/CP/2012/1), with the exception of the item on the second review of the adequacy of Convention Articles 4(a) and (b), which was held in abeyance.
Rules of Procedure:
COP President Al-Attiyah reminded parties of the practice since COP 1 of applying the draft rules of procedure (FCCC/CP/1996/2), with the exception of draft rule 42 on voting. He informed parties that no consensus has been achieved in consultations by the COP 17 President, and parties agreed to apply the draft rules with the exception of draft rule 42. At the closing plenary, COP President Al-Attiyah reported that no consensus was reached during his informal consultations. The COP President will report back to COP 19 if any changes occur.
Election of officers:
The COP closing plenary elected members of the COP Bureau: SBSTA Chair Richard Muyungi (Tanzania); SBI Chair Tomasz Chruszczow (Poland); Emmanuel Dumisani Dlamini (Swaziland); Su Wei (China); Claudia Salerno Caldera (Venezuela); Delano Bart (Saint Kitts and Nevis); Gary Cowan (Australia); Nicole Wilke (Germany); Jane J. Chigiyal (Federated States of Micronesia); and Marina Shvangiradze (Georgia) as Rapporteur. The COP also elected the SBI Bureau, with Robert F. Van Lierop (Suriname) as Vice-Chair and Mabafokeng F. Mahahabisa (Lesotho) as Rapporteur. The COP also elected officers to the CTCN Advisory Board. Consultations will continue on the outstanding nominations. The list of nominees for the CTCN Advisory Board is available at: http://unfccc.int/files/bodies/election_and_membership/application/pdf/nominations_update_2012_latest.pdf
Accreditation of observers:
The COP agreed to admit the proposed organizations as observers (FCCC/CP/2012/12/Rev.1 and Add.1).
PARTIES’ PROPOSALS UNDER CONVENTION ARTICLE 17:
This issue was first taken up by the COP on 28 November. Parties noted proposals by Japan (FCCC/CP/2009/3), Tuvalu (FCCC/CP/2009/4), the US (FCCC/CP/2009/7), Australia (FCCC/CP/2009/5), Costa Rica (FCCC/CP/2009/6) and Grenada (FCCC/CP/2010/3). During the resumed COP closing plenary on Saturday, 8 December, the COP agreed to continue consideration of this issue at its next session.
PARTIES’ PROPOSALS FOR AMENDMENTS UNDER CONVENTION ARTICLE 15:
Proposal by the Russian Federation:
This issue (FCCC/CP/2011/5) was first taken up by the COP plenary on 28 November and subsequently taken up in a contact group facilitated by Javier Díaz (Costa Rica). The COP President reported to the closing plenary on 7 December that parties had not been able to reach agreement. Consideration of the issue will continue at COP 19.
Proposal by Papua New Guinea and Mexico:
This issue (FCCC/CP/2011/4/Rev.1) was first taken up by the COP plenary on 28 November. It was subsequently taken up in informal consultations but no agreement was reached. On 7 December, the COP agreed to include this item on the agenda of COP 19. Papua New Guinea highlighted that the “right to vote” in Convention Article 18 is not being realized due to the lack of adoption of