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Posted:
May 16, 2012
Author:
Joe Perullo

Finance Inadequate!

~by Joe Perullo

The word Philippine negotiator Bernarditas de Castro-Muller wouldn’t let go unnoticed in yesterday’s small negotiating group meeting on finance was “inadequate.”

The contact group met to discuss possible guidelines on the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and how to manage it’s two sub-funds: the Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF) and the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF).

The GEF is the financial mechanism of the UNFCCC, allocating and disbursing about $250 million dollars per year in projects in energy efficiency, renewable energies, and sustainable transportation. The Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF), established under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) at it seventh session in Marrakech, addresses the special needs of the 48 Least Developed Countries (LDCs), which are especially vulnerable to the adverse impacts of climate change. This includes financing National Adaptation Programmes of Action (NAPAs) which address urgent and immediate needs of LDCs to adapt to climate change.

In the contact group, developing countries insisted that financial support for both funds needs to be more predictable and adequate. ‘Predictable,’ means that right now funding for the funds is voluntary, not legally mandatory for developed countries—so nobody knows how much (or little) developing countries can expect to work with. ‘Adequate,’ means two things: there is not enough money in the funds right now, and far too little is expected with voluntary contributions.

So far the GEF has mobilized voluntary contributions of about $172 million for the LDCF. As developed countries keep pointing out, its target in the next 4 years is to reach $500 million, which is the amount estimated by the UNFCCC needed to finance NAPA implementation. The EU claimed this will be reached and is enough. The Philippines wasn’t so sure.

As the meeting time came to a close, the Chair decided to move discussions on the funds to a spin off group, which will include presentations by countries—not just negotiating, but longer prepared speeches.

Posted:
May 15, 2012
Author:
greeder

AWG-KP intervention text

~Opening intervention of the Ad-hoc Working Group on the Kyoto Protocol, written by YOUNGO and delivered by Camilla Born from the UKYCC.

AWG-KP intervention:

Thank you chair.  My name is Camilla and I am 23 years old. For us, the outcome of the Kyoto Protocol negotiations in Durban was extremely disappointing. All Annex I parties should have led by example and taken on ambitious, legally binding commitments to forge a firm foundation to a sustained global multilateral rules-based system. One that would effectively mitigate climate change based on the principles of equity, historical responsibility, and common, but differentiated responsibilities.

However, all is not lost. We still have this year to decide on robust rules to maximize ambition and we call on willing parties to take on necessary decisions to implement them. During this time, there is one word in particular that young people are thinking about.  We would like you in the room to take a moment, a deep breath and consider the word ‘ambition’.

First, we need ambition to ensure that the highest possible emission reductions can be realized. Therefore, in light of the current weak pledges, we call for a 5-year commitment period, so as not to lock ourselves into low reduction targets, giving sufficient space to review our current ambition, and push ourselves further.

Second, we need ambition to ensure the integrity of emissions reductions. Annex I parties must endeavour to make real emissions reductions, and relinquish using loopholes and other methods of creative emissions accounting.

Third, we need ambition to honor the promises that you have made. We need you to wholeheartedly sign on to the second commitment period to fulfill our ambition – not to back away without even fulfilling your emissions reductions from the first commitment period, and certainly not to back out of the protocol altogether. Your ambition can lead by example, and inspire trust in others for a process that does not have to be condemned before it has been fulfilled.

Now is the chance for climate leaders to bring ambition to the forefront.  The continuation of the Kyoto Protocol has incredible potential and cannot be compromised; the ambition from all developed countries in this room is essential to realising this potential. Kyoto’s best practices can serve as an inspiring framework for future climate regimes to be built upon.  Giving up on Kyoto sends the wrong message to young and future generations and delays the sustainable and equitable future we are all fighting for. High ambition now is our only option.

Thank you.

Posted:
May 14, 2012
Author:
greeder

SBI opening plenary intervention

~Written by YOUNGO and delivered today by Graham Reeder at the opening plenary of the Subsidiary Body for Implementation.
SBI intervention:

Thank you chair.  My name is Graham and I am 21 years old. We would like to take this opportunity to address three pertinent issues on the SBI agenda.

First, with regards to Article 6, we believe that education for sustainable development is crucial to build capacity amongst different stakeholders to harness solutions and build agency at a sub-national level.

If governments are serious about making progress, then young people will need to be educated, aware, and become active participants in climate change decisions.  You need us to be.

We do not need an empty work programme: the new programme on Article 6 must increase access to funding for Article 6 projects- especially non-formal education run by and for youth.

We therefore believe that a permanent programme should be established which must have robust time-bound performance indicators, well-supported national focal points and promote collaboration with stakeholders at all levels. This new programme will be pivotal in ensuring that the implementation of Article 6 can be further enhanced and sustained on a long-term basis.

Second, we welcome the first meeting of the Durban Forum on Capacity Building, and very much look forward to sharing our ideas and experiences of this vital topic.  We hope that this renewed focus will highlight the importance and urgency of robust action on Capacity Building to address barriers to climate action.  An institutionalized forum is a good first step, but more equitable action is needed urgently to actively and continually involve all stakeholders.

Last, a work programme on loss and damage can only be successful if it is operational and implemented. Vulnerable countries are experiencing the impacts of climate change now and cannot afford hesitation on the part of the international community. Research and expertise exist, the SBI’s role must be to consider how to consolidate information and utilize it to implement best practices, and not to repeat research and stall progress.

We have a lot to do.  Let’s approach the coming two weeks with renewed energy and a willingness to cooporate in a spirit of trust.

Thank you

Posted:
May 14, 2012
Author:
greeder

Bonn Intersessionals Kick off

~by Joe Perullo and Graham Reeder

Photo credit: UNFCCC.int

The sun is shining in the old capital of western Germany as the 36th session of the Subsidiary Bodies (Implementation and Scientific and Technical Advise) kick off on day 1 of the Bonn intersessionals.

Intersessionals are smaller meetings than COPs, they are charged with getting the work done that the annual COPs agree to and preparing for the following year’s work, the atmosphere is more casual and delegates can be seen chatting in the hallway with one another. However, that isn’t to say that the meetings are a vacation; this session has a very full agenda with crucial work to be done that will determine the future of the climate regime (and by extension, the climate).

The Convention’s new body, created last December known as the Ad-hoc Working Group for the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action, more simply the ‘ADP,’ will have its very first session during these meetings this Wednesday. This body is what will virtually replace the LCA (Ad-hoc Working Group on Long term Cooperative Action) which will finish its work this year. Like the LCA, the ADP will cover issues of Technology Transfer, Finance, Capacity Building, Adaptation, and Mitigation. Unlike the LCA, the ADP does not contain words like ‘equity’ and ‘common but differentiated responsibilities.’ Their absence from the text is the result of utter stubbornness by developed countries, particularly the US, to not agree to anything that would contain these words and threaten their race to the bottom.

Equity still has a chance though! While it is not mentioned in the ADP text itself, Common but Differentiated Responsibilities (CBDR) and Historical Responsibility are two foundational principles of the Convention, which the ADP must adhere to. Developing countries claim that, since the ADP is a subsection of the Convention, these rules still apply.

So the battle for equity is ever clear, and as the ADP begins to take form over these negotiations, we will see which interpretation of it prevails.

One clear theme of these negotiations will be ambition. The ADP is all about increasing ambition, a welcome change of tone from the LCA, which has been bogged down in incredibly slow progress and stalling. The question is, ambition from whom? As the ADP is designed, it is important to remember who has already showed ambition in reducing their emissions: the developing world.

While rich countries have complained that the poor are asking for too much and not doing enough work, the developing countries have cut more emissions that the entire developed world, and have done so without being bound to legally binding emissions reductions. Rich countries (the US notably excluded, who couldn’t even muster ratifying the Kyoto Protocol) on the other hand have completely failed to reduce their emissions despite being legally bound to do so. While some, like the EU, have gone about hiding their mess under the rug with loopholes, offsets, and creative accounting, Canada has just gone ahead and stormed out of the room, complaining that it should be up to the world’s poor to clean up it’s mess. Canada is having too much fun playing in their tar sand-pit to stop. It is important that all countries participate in fighting climate change, but we cannot forget who has created this mess and who has the capacity to clean it up. China and India have huge populations and, on a per-capita basis, are neither rich nor major emitters, the burden of fighting climate change cannot be shifted to their shoulders and this meeting will be important for keeping the burden of responsibility where it belongs: with the rich and developed.

Lots of other work will be going on under the different bodies of the UNFCCC over the next two weeks, and we’ll be here to keep you up to date of what is going on.

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