UN Climate Change Negotiations in August
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From 2 to 6 August 2010 the UN Climate Change Conference took place in Bonn, Germany. According to the new UNFCCC Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres, governments meeting in Bonn have made progress towards deciding the shape of a successful result at the November/December UN Climate Change Conference in Mexico, but now need to narrow down the many options for action on climate change presently under negotiation. The European Commissioner for Climate Action, however, said that these negotiations failed to provide the necessary next step towards a long-term cooperative action in which all the parties would be involved. |
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In Bonn, many governments expressed their belief that at the next Conference of the Parties (COP 16) in Cancún, Mexico decisions will be made for the quick operationalisation of the new climate change agreement key elements. “This means countries could agree to take accountable action to, for example, manage and deploy climate finance, boost technology transfer, build skills and capacity to do this and deal with adaptation, especially in the poorest and most vulnerable countries,” said UNFCCC Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres.
The Kyoto Protocol negotiating group also met in Bonn. Its focus is on emissions reduction commitments for the 37 industrialised countries that have ratified the Kyoto Protocol for the period beyond 2012. At Bonn Conference, the chair of the Kyoto Protocol negotiating group, John Ashe produced a draft proposal text which governments will be able to consider between now and the next UNFCCC negotiating session in October.
That text includes a possible set of draft decisions for Cancún, including impacts of agriculture on emissions, carbon markets and mechanisms, greenhouse gases, and the effects on different countries of moving to a low-emissions future.
Connie Hedegaard, European Commissioner for Climate Action, in her statement on the outcome of the Bonn climate change talks, said “The good progress made in the negotiations on new commitments for Parties to the Kyoto Protocol have not been matched in the parallel negotiation track on long-term cooperative action concerning all countries, including those not committed to Kyoto. These negotiations have if anything gone backwards”.
Ms. Figueres called on governments to agree further compromises at all levels between now and the UN Climate Change Conference 29 November to 10 December in Cancún. Significant opportunities for this are the high-level meetings which are scheduled in Geneva and New York in September, followed by the next UNFCCC negotiating session in Tianjin, China (4 to 9 October).
The Bonn UN Climate Change Conference was attended by 1656 participants from 175 countries.
Additional information (negotiation texts):
Ad Hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action under the Convention, Negotiating text (PDF)
Source:
UN Framework Convention on Climate Change;
Statement by Connie Hedegaard, European Commissioner for Climate Action