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Briefing Paper
SBI 38, SBSTA 38, as well as the second part of the second session of the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action (ADP 2-2).
3-14 June 2013, Bonn
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Some key issues for the June climate talks
by Meena Raman,
The Subsidiary Bodies (SBs) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), viz. the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI) and the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice SBSTA), are meeting in Bonn from 3-14 June, 2013. The SBs are meeting for the first time this year after the conclusion of the 18
th
meeting of the Conference of Parties (COP18) and the 8
th
meeting of the Parties of the Kyoto Protocol (CMP8) in Doha end last year. The Ad-hoc Working Group for Enhanced Action under the Durban Platform (ADP) is also meeting, after having met earlier from 29 April – 3 May 2013 in Bonn. With decisions adopted from the work of the Ad-hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperation (AWGLCA), whose task was to reach and agreed outcome under the Bali Action Plan (BAP), several key issues have been �?passed on’ to the SBs to carry on further work. The AWG-LCA ended its work in Doha last year. Some of the issues being considered by the SBs include matters relating to mitigation of developed and developing countries; guidelines for domestic measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) of domestically supported nationally appropriate mitigation actions of developing countries (NAMAs); market and non-market mechanisms under the Convention; coordination of support for mitigation actions in the forest sector, the 2013-2015 review and national adaptation plans (NAPs). In addition, at COP 18, by decision 3/CP.18 on the issue of �?loss and damage’, it was agreed that further work be conducted to advance the understanding on loss and damage and to establish at COP 19 (to be held in Warsaw) institutional arrangements to address this. In relation to the ADP, Parties in Bonn at the last session, discussed issues related to the agreement to be concluded by 2015 and to take effect in 2020 (under workstream 1), as well as activities in relation to the pre-2020 ambition (workstream 2). The June session is supposed to advance further work.
A. SOME ISSUES FOR THE SBI/SBSTA 1. Developed country mitigation
In Doha (through decision 1/CP.18), developed countries were urged to increase the ambition of their quantified economy-wide emission reduction targets (QERTS), with a view to reducing their aggregate emissions to a level consistent with the ranges documented in the Fourth Assessment Report (AR4) of the IPCC and subsequent Assessment Reports. The range referred to for developed countries in the AR4 is 25-40% reductions by 2020 compared to 1990 levels. In fact, developing countries in Doha (and even prior to that), have been calling for at least a 40-50% reduction of emissions in aggregate for developed countries by 2020 compared to 1990 levels, both under the Kyoto Protocol (KP) and under the BAP. They also wanted a comparability of effort among developed
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countries under the two tracks (of the KP and the Convention), linked to the overall aggregate cuts demanded by science. Developed countries in Doha did not increase their ambition level since their low pledges in Copenhagen and Cancun, and the outcome in Doha was condemned by civil society groups and other observers as one of �?low ambition’. Developed countries under the KP’s second commitment period (excluding Russia, Japan, Canada and New Zealand), agreed to only commit to an aggregate cut of 18% by 2020 below the 1990 level. (The US is not a member of the KP). The developed countries in the second commitment period of KP, did however agree to �?revisit’ their emission reduction commitments by 2014 in line with an aggregate reduction by developed country KP Parties of at least 25-40% by 2020 (Paragraph 7 of decision 1/CMP.8). Under the BAP track of the Convention, Parties in Doha agreed to establish a work programme under SBSTA to continue the process of clarifying the QERTS of developed country Parties,…with a view to: (a) identifying common elements for measuring the progress made towards the achievement of the quantified economy-wide emission reduction targets and (b) ensuring the comparability of efforts among developed country Parties, taking into account differences in their national circumstances. In this regard, several Parties have made submissions in relation to the work programme, which included China, Saudi Arabia, Nauru (for the Alliance of Small Island States), South Africa, the United States, the European Union and New Zealand. The submissions by developing countries stress that the SBSTA work programme should result in developing vital components to measure the commitments of developed countries towards increasing their ambition with a view to reducing their aggregate emission cuts to a level consistent with science and equity. They also emphasise the importance of ensuring comparability of efforts among developed countries and the need for common accounting rules and frameworks for this. The developed country submissions on the other hand, take a different approach. The US submission states that the purpose of work programme is to allow Parties to continue to provide information on their pledges. There is no reference on the need for a comparability of effort among developed countries or on the need for common accounting rules/frameworks for them. The New Zealand submission advances a similar view and states further that the “common elements” to be discussed may be applicable to all Parties in the new post 2020 agreement under the ADP. The EU, in its’ submission does not advance the need for common accounting rules among developed countries during the 2013-2014 time frame. Instead, it wants an agreement at COP 20 (2014) that there is need for “a common accounting framework in the new regime (post 2020) that promotes comparability of efforts”. None of the developed country submissions refer to any aggregate cut needed by developed countries by 2020 and the need for a comparability of efforts among them to achieve that target.
2. Developing country mitigation
(a) Nationally appropriate mitigation actions (NAMAs)
On the nationally appropriate mitigation actions (NAMAs) of developing countries, Parties in Doha agreed to establish a work programme to further the understanding of the diversity of NAMAs under the SBI, “with a view to facilitating the preparation and implementation of those NAMAS” including on: (a) more information relating to NAMAs, including underlying assumptions and methodologies etc. and estimated mitigation outcomes; (b) needs for financial, technology and capacity-building support for the preparation and implementation of specific measurable, reportable and verifiable (MRV) NAMAs, as well as support available and provided, access modalities and related experience gained and
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(c) the extent of the matching of mitigation actions with financial, technology and capacity building support under the registry (for NAMAs). Submissions were sought on the work programme. Only developed countries provided their views on the work programme and this included the European Union, Australia, United States, Norway and the Environmental Integrity Group (EIG). The submissions of developed countries reveal the following views:
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The 2013-2014 work programme is the foundation for the 2015 agreement (under the ADP) through the technical clarification of NAMAs (EU, Norway)
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Clarification is sought on nature of the NAMAs, the scope and information around them; information sought include assumptions and projections related to emissions in the business-as-usual (BAU) scenario; the methodologies and tools for estimating baselines for mitigation actions and for estimating mitigation outcomes, linked to the 2 degree C goal (EU, Norway, EIG, US and Australia);
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They want discussions in sub-paragraphs (a), (b) and (c) to begin independently of each other, thus separating the issue of needs for finance, technology transfer and capacity-building and NAMAs (EU).
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They want common accounting rules for all countries post 2020 (EU).
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On finance, technology and capacity-building support, they see the need for NAMAs to be attractive for financing and also propose financial frameworks etc. (EU).
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On support needs, the US says that developing countries should be invited to present for each NAMA listed in the INF (information) document, the underlying assumptions and methodologies used to determine support needed for implementation, including clarification of what elements of the action will be financed through domestic sources, based on national capabilities and what complementary role international sources could play.
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The EIG propose the exploration of technical and financial support needs in preparing, piloting and implementing NAMAS; support available and provided, access modalities and experience.
(b) Guidelines for domestic MRV of domestically supported NAMAs
In Durban, through
decision 2/CP.17 on the AWG-LCA outcome document, Parties agreed to request SBSTA to develop general guidelines for domestic MRV of domestically-supported NAMAs. Following this, in Doha, a decision was adopted (in document SBSTA/2012/L.24) that: “The SBSTA agreed that the guidelines should be general, voluntary, pragmatic, non-prescriptive, non-intrusive and country driven, take into account national circumstances and national priorities, respect the diversity of nationally appropriate mitigation actions, build on existing domestic systems and capacities, recognize existing domestic measurement, reporting and verification systems and promote a cost-effective approach.” (emphasis added). The decision also states that SBSTA is to initiate the process of developing the guidelines at its 38
th
session, which is the June session in Bonn. SBSTA is supposed to continue the process of developing the guidelines at its 39
th
session and to forward draft guidelines to COP 19 for adoption. Four submissions have been forwarded by Parties providing views on the guidelines which are all from developed countries except one from Saudi Arabia. Developed countries that made submissions included the Umbrella Group, the European Union and New Zealand. The Saudi Arabian submission states the following:
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NAMAs should be carried out in the context of sustainable development and in accordance with each developing country party’s national circumstances which is the context for the work on general guidelines for domestically supported mitigation actions.
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The Doha outcome provides right basis – guidelines should be voluntary in nature, take into account national circumstances and national priorities and respect diversity of NAMAs.
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It was reaffirmed in Doha that guidelines should be general, pragmatic, non-prescriptive, non-intrusive and country driven.
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Guidelines should not obstruct developing country NAMAs nor hinder their ultimate social and economic priorities.