Climate Negotiations towards Copenhagen “165 days to Copenhagen”

Overview Build up of GHGs in atmosphere, much of it driven by human activities is affecting the global climate current projections, concentrations of GHGs will continue to increase into the indefinite future lack of action entails a cost already being experienced that is great particularly in developing countries and differentiated impacts point to developing countries especially LDC/small island states bearing this cost. –Mitigation /adaptation key Actions needed to stabilize GHGs

Negotiation streams Negotiation streams 4 areas: SBI SABSTA AWG-KP AWG- LCA –Shared vision –Mitigation –Adaptation –Financing and technology (agreed in Bali COP 13)

The Convention The convention was the 13 session of UNFCCC subsidiary bodies – SBSTA and SBI The 6th session of the AWG-LCA and the 8th session of AWG-KP. The sessions took place from the 1 June – 12 June 2009, at the Maritim, Hotel Bonn, Germany. The main objective of the Bonn II meeting was to discuss negotiating text which would serve as basis for an ambitious and effective international climate change deal, to be clinched in Copenhagen in December, Significant was that it was a process to prepare for the crucial Copenhagen conference in December, 2009

Key Areas The AWG- KP established Ad Hoc Working Group on Further Commitments for Annex I Parties under the Kyoto Protocol (AWG- KP). –objectives was to discuss future commitments for industrialized countries under the Kyoto Protocol, set to complete its work by the end of AWG-LCA - Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action under the Convention (AWG- LCA). Launched at COP 13, Bali A comprehensive process to enable the full, effective and sustained implementation of the Convention

Climate Change Negotiation Were we are: Negotiations ended with submissions in all key negotiation areas: –Currently submissions have been tabled on website of UNFCCC (out yesterday the compiled document – 200 pages) –Task for next meetings will aim to converge all submissions to concise and shortened versions –There is still opening for negotiation

Negotiations. From the proceedings in Bonn II, there were a number of sectors that really were echoing that the climate talks were in crisis. –The reason was at the end of 2 weeks there was a feeling that a gap was being created between developed and developing countries is widening. –many developing countries were setting very low emission- reduction targets, far below what is need to address the climate crisis and moving away from recommendation based on sound-science from IPCCC report.

Contd… For example, the Japanese Prime Minister announced just before the end of the second week that Japan is ready to cut its emission level by 2020 to a level 8% below its 1990 level. This was not very well received by the Bonn II meetings It was echoed that it was a shameful emission cut commitment, a mere 2% addition to it earlier commitments targeted for 2013 to 2020.

Us/Japan Issue The US too, seems to make no tangible move to officially declare it targets. It was however, shared in the corridors that the US climate bill was putting figures at 4% below the 1990 levels. It was also made known by experts that both Japan and US were under pressure from their corporate lobby within their own countries – will see how they respond to this pressure.

EU The EU was more ambitious as it declared it would commit to cut its emission by 20%, and will raise if other developed countries join in. Japanese and US - EU’s target shaky – wait and see game – Their ambitious target may be unlikely – I do not know. Contention for dev. Countries was the blanketing of dev. Countries that included some of the high polluters (China, India, SA) – methodology of their inclusion in the group of developing countries

Africa G77 & China Figures that does not show hope on what is to be done for lowing global emissions by at least half by Most developing countries particularly OASIS countries showed their deep disappointment with the move by the rich countries – deep concern over future of island states (tidal waves had greatly increased etc) (very strong - Grenada, commorros, Phillipines) Especially that they had done so much preaching about the need for climate actions yet their actions spoke the opposite.

Agriculture sector Agriculture issues are being embedded within the forestry debates REDD Plus Agriculture side events were few but many issues were around REDD+ Need to push agriculture especially for developing countries

Way Forward 4 key outstanding meetings –Bonn III, Bangkok, Barcelona then Copenhagen –Actions – Need to hold a side event with influential voices around Africa + Agriculture Contacts have been created and should be strengthened –Need to capacitate a new team of African negotiators in CC – mentored by the older negotiators – beyond Copenhagen –Proper mechanisms of reporting –Need for position papers to be developed before Bonn III (1 pager with the correct language) –Begin youth mobilization for climate for the region

Thank you