Back in Bonn
Ecoal, June 2010, Vol. 71
Christina Figueres, the new head of the UNFCCC, who replaced Yvo de Boer who stepped down at the close of the Bonn talks.
The first round of United Nations climate change talks since Copenhagen ended on 11 June with limited progress being made towards a globally legally binding agreement. The talks comprised meetings of four different bodies all existing under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
Two of these bodies are of particular interest to the coal industry. The AWG-LCA is working towards the development of a future global agreement on climate change and so the outcomes of those discussions will ultimately affect the policies countries pursue to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. In the SBSTA a major issue of contention is the inclusion of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technology in the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM).
Recovering from Copenhagen
The Copenhagen talks were marred by controversy about the way in which informal negotiations took place, excluding many parties and seeking to rush through an agreement at the last minute. The talks in Bonn, attended by around 2900 delegates from governments, international organisations and non-governmental organisations, were primarily aimed at re-establishing the UNFCCC's role at the centre of climate negotiations and re-building trust in the negotiating process.
Going into the talks, the main focus was on a draft negotiating text prepared by AWG-LCA Chair Margaret Mukahanana-Sangarwe of Zimbabwe. Many parties welcomed the text as the basis for further discussions and the remainder of the AWG-LCA sessions focussed on methodical consideration of the issues it raised such as mitigation commitments and actions, measuring, reporting and verification, shared long term vision, adaptation and technology transfer. While the tone of these discussions was positive, many felt that the process of open discussion in the single large group led to Parties restating and maintaining their entrenched positions, rather than exploring alternative options in a more open and informal dialogue.
Carbon Capture and Storage
Informal discussions were, however, held on the issue of CCS in the CDM and resulted in limited progress being made on this issue. Brazil and a number of smaller developing states oppose the inclusion of CCS in the CDM but there is widespread support amongst developed and larger developing countries, such as Indonesia. CCS is the only technology that can reduce emissions from a number of CO2 intensive sectors but its continued exclusion from the CDM means that there is currently no international mechanism that can enable interested developing countries to deploy the technology.A text agreed to at SBSTA will be further discussed in Cancun, but is seen as a positive step in defining the issues to be resolved for CCS to be included within the CDM.
WCI's new Policy Manager, Benjamin Sporton (on behalf of business and industry groups) also had the opportunity to make an intervention in the SBSTA to encourage parties to move forward on the issue (see the statement here).
While these developments are positive, the issue will be further discussed in Cancun and until a final decision is made, uncertainty will remain over whether CCS will be included within the CDM.
Controversy
A major controversy arose in the SBSTA when Saudi Arabia and other Gulf States blocked a call from small island developing countries for a report on the options for limiting global average temperature increases to below 1.5 degrees. The request was supported by all other countries who spoke on the proposal but could not be progressed because the UNFCCC operates under a consensus agreement approach.
The proposed paper was seen by some as a signal to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to consider lower emissions scenarios in its upcoming report due in 2014. The Gulf States, however, see lower emissions scenarios as likely to place significant limits on the future use of fossil fuels.
SBSTA discussions were twice suspended to try to reach an informal agreement on the proposal but in the final tense session no consensus could be reached. Many countries criticised the approach of the Gulf States and the issue showed a clear split within the G77 between them and more vulnerable developing countries. There was further controversy the following day when photographs were displayed in the conference venue showing the Saudi nameplate destroyed and placed in a toilet and the alleged abuse of a Saudi flag in the conference hall. Despite being widely condemned, these events soured what was otherwise seen as a more positive mood arising from the Bonn talks.
Prospects for Cancun
Two further rounds of talks have been scheduled before Cancun - Bonn in August and China in October. These discussions will focus on a further draft text from the AWG-LCA Chair released just before the end of these negotiations, which seeks to deal with issues raised in the latest negotiations. This text has already been widely criticised by both developed and developing countries and a further draft is expected before the next round of talks in August. Key areas of contention will revolve around long-standing issues such as measurement, reporting and verification, compliance, mitigation and financing.
Progress before the end of the year is also likely to be constrained by the expected delivery of a report on financing by the High-level Advisory Group on Climate Change Financing, which is not due until shortly before talks get under way in Cancun in November. A significant challenge also seems to be that many Parties are unwilling to commit to a way forward until there is progress on climate legislation in the United States Congress, which is unlikely to materialise before the end of the year.
Following Bonn, there are mixed views about the likelihood of an agreement coming out of COP16 in Cancun at the end of the year. A number of issues, such as REDD+, adaptation and finance, were well progressed at these meetings and there is some expectation that they could be resolved in Cancun. This has led to some speculation that, rather than an all-encompassing agreement being signed, smaller agreements on specific issues could be reached. Other parties, however, clearly have a strong preference for a single, comprehensive and legally binding agreement and while acknowledging that progress can be made in Cancun are working towards achieving this bigger package in South Africa in 2011.
New Head of UNFCCC
Christiana Figueres has become the new Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC. Ms Figueres, who has been a member of the Costa Rican climate change negotiating team since 1995, succeeds Yvo de Boer, who has been in the role since 2006 and stepped down following the Bonn talks.
Ms Figueres has been a keen promoter of Latin America's participation in the UNFCCC and represented the Latin America and Caribbean region on the Executive Board of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) in 2007. She was seen as a key figure in achieving Latin American co-operation in the agreement of the Kyoto Protocol. Under the UNFCCC negotiations she has previously chaired contact groups on Guidance to the CDM Executive Board and Flexibility Mechanisms for the Post-2012 Regime.
Mr de Boer originally announced his decision to step down from the role in February and will now join international consulting group KPMG as global adviser on climate and sustainability. During his time as Executive Secretary he oversaw the agreement of the Bali Roadmap in 2007 and the Copenhagen Accord in 2009. These agreements have helped to ensure long-term co-operative action on climate change beyond the end of the Kyoto Protocol's 2008-2012 first commitment period.
Praising Mr de Boer's contribution to the UN climate change process over the past four years, WCI Chief Executive Milton Catelin said "Yvo was an experienced government negotiator who brought professionalism and commitment to the role and will be a hard act to follow. The new Executive Secretary will need to build upon his legacy and we look forward to strengthened links between the secretariat and business and industry groups".
Photo courtesy Leila Mead/IISD
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