[Ngo Climate Change] Fwd: Fw: [APRN-Egroup] TWN Lima News Update No.1: What to expect at the Lima Climate Conference
le thanh hai
lethanhhai1602 at gmail.com
Tue Dec 2 11:10:54 ICT 2014
Dear colleges,
Sorry for any cross posting.
Please find below with Update information from Lima Climate Conference.
Kind regards,
..............................................................................................................
*Le Thanh Hai** (Mr.)*
Communication Acting Manager
*Centre for Marinelife Conservation and Community Development (MCD)*
Suite 3104, Level 31, Buiding 34T, Hoang Dao Thuy Street, Cau Giay
District, Hanoi, Vietnam
Mobile: 0988 272947
Phone: +84 4 2221 2923
Fax: +84 4 2221 2924
Email: lthai at mcdvietnam.org
Web: www.mcdvietnam.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/mcdvietnam.org
..............................................................................................................
*TWN Lima News Update No.1*
*30 November 2014Published by Third World Network**www.twn.my*
<http://www.twn.my/>
------------------------------
*What to expect at the Lima Climate Conference*
Lima, 1 Dec. (Meena Raman*) - The Climate Conference kicks off in Lima,
Peru, against the backdrop of recent key events in the climate change
arena, which include the most recent release of the Intergovernmental Panel
on Climate Change’s (IPCC) Summary for Policy- Makers (SPM) relating to the
Synthesis Report of its Fifth Assessment Report (AR5), the US-China joint
announcement of their post- 2020 actions on climate change, and the US$ 9.7
billion pledged to the Green Climate Fund (GCF).
The Lima talks from 1-12 December will see the convening of the twentieth
session of the Conference of Parties (COP 20) to the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the tenth session of the
Conference of Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto
Protocol (CMP 10), the forty-first session of the Subsidiary Bodies viz.
the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI 41), the Subsidiary Body for
Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA 41) and the seventh part of the
second session of the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Durban Platform for
Enhanced Action (ADP 2.7).
Two high-level ministerial dialogues have also been planned on ‘climate
finance’ and the ‘Durban Platform for Enhanced Action’ which will take
place on 9 and 10 December respectively.
With less than a year left to conclude the deal in 2015 in Paris for a new
agreement under the UNFCCC which is to take effect in 2020, the Lima talks
will be an important milestone. Hence, there will be a great deal of focus
on the work being carried out under the ADP.
Lima will also witness the first international assessment and review (IAR)
process established under the SBI for developed countries, which aims to
promote the comparability of efforts among developed countries of their
quantified economy-wide emission limitation and reduction targets. The IAR
was agreed to in 2010 in Cancun.
A related issue of importance in relation to the mitigation commitments of
developed countries will be the status of progress made on the ratification
of the Doha Amendment to the Kyoto Protocol (KP), where only some Annex 1
Parties agreed to commit to a second commitment period of the KP (for the
period 2013-2020) for further emission cuts.The latest information from the
UNFCCC website reveals that from the Annex 1 Parties, only Norway and
Monaco have ratified the Doha Amendments.
Parties had also agreed in Doha that under the second commitment period of
the KP, Annex 1 Parties will revisit their emission reduction commitments
at the latest by 2014, to increase their ambition. In this regard, the CMP
in Lima (under agenda item 8), will consider the report of the high-level
ministerial roundtable on increased ambition of the KP commitments that
took place on 5 June 2014 in Bonn, Germany. Whether and if Annex 1 Parties
to the KP will revisit their targets to increase their ambition remains to
be seen and appears rather remote. What action will follow in this regard
will be another critical matter to watch.
*ADP*In Lima, Parties are expected to do the following:
- Further elaborate on the elements for a draft negotiating text of the
2015 agreement;
- Identify the information that Parties will provide when putting
forward their intended nationally determined contributions (INDCs) in
relation to the 2015 agreement;
- Agree on how to accelerate the full implementation of the decisions
under the Bali Action Plan (decision 1/CP13) and to enhance ambition in the
pre-2020 period in order to ensure the highest possible mitigation efforts
under the Convention by all Parties.
In order to assist Parties, the Co-chairs of the ADP have prepared:
- A non-paper on elements for a draft negotiating text;
- A draft decision text on advancing the Durban Platform for Enhanced
Action (DP). This draft text includes matters relating to the INDCs and the
pre-2020 climate actions.
On the non-paper on elements relating to the 2015 agreement, a key issue
for resolution would be on how the principle of common but differentiated
responsibilities and respective capabilities (CBDR-RC) is applied under the
new agreement. Article 3.1 of the UNFCCC provides as follows:“ The Parties
should protect the climate system for the benefit of present and future
generations of humankind, on the basis of equity and in accordance with
their common but differentiated responsibilities and respective
capabilities.”.
The non-paper introduces the notion of “evolving CBDR-RC, which pervades
across all the elements of the new agreement viz. mitigation, adaptation,
finance, technology transfer, capacity building and transparency of action
and support. This concept of “evolving CBDR-RC” is expected to generate an
interesting and intense debate among Parties.
On the draft decision on advancing the DP, in relation to the intended
nationally determined contributions (INDCs), although the draft decision
“notes that the scope of the contributions is to be nationally determined…”
(paragraph 8), it stresses that “all Parties should include a mitigation
component in their INDCs” (paragraph 9). The decision also provides for
“opportunities for seeking and providing clarification to Parties and
admitted observer organisations” via electronic means’ of Parties INDCs
(paragraph 17). The decision “also requests the secretariat to organise
workshops…in June 2015 …” with the objective of “enhancing the clarity,
transparency and understanding of the aggregate effect of communicated
INDCs”. This is referred to in the discussions as an “ex-ante review” of
the INDCs, prior to the finalisation of the Paris agreement.
In the Warsaw COP last year, after much wrangling, Parties agreed to a
decision under the ADP to “initiate or intensify domestic preparations for
their INDCs, without prejudice to the legal nature of the contributions, in
the context of the 2015 agreement” and to communicate them well in advance
of COP 21 (in Paris) (by the first quarter of 2015 by those Parties ready
to do so).
The scope of the INDCs has been a subject of much debate in the ADP this
year and is expected to continue to be so in Lima. Further, developing
countries have also stressed previously that there can be no
‘early-harvest’ as regards the mitigation element of the 2015 agreement
when all the elements are ‘a package’ or a ‘single-undertaking’.
A large number of developing countries, including the Like-minded
developing countries (LMDC) and the African Group have been opposed to
viewing the INDCs as only being mitigation-focused, in stark contrast to
the position of most developed countries.
They have said that INDCs cannot be focused only on ‘mitigation’, including
in being isolated from the consideration of the provision of finance,
technology transfer and capacity building support.
In fact, China, at the October session this year of the ADP, said that
there can be no ‘early harvest’ of the 2015 agreement by focusing only on
mitigation when all elements of the 2015 outcome are “a package”. This view
is also shared by the *LMDC*.
The *African Group* had in the same session made clear that Parties were
working under a “single mandate” as set out in the Durban decision (adopted
in 2011) and that work must be captured within “a single undertaking” (in
relation to all the elements of the 2015 agreement).
*T*he *Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of our America (ALBA), *had said
in the October session that the INDCs are a component of the 2015 agreement
and are to be negotiated in the context and in conjunction with all the
elements of the agreement, and not separately. It saw the approach of
focusing only on mitigation “as an attempt by a group of countries to
negotiate the outcome of an agreement, which Parties have not yet begun to
negotiate, by using the debate on the information on INDC as a back door,
and as a way of diluting the commitments of developed countries under the
Convention”.
Given the above, in Lima, we can expect intense exchanges on the scope and
the treatment of the INDCs vis-เ-vis the 2015 agreement, including on
whether there should be an ex-ante review prior to the conclusion of the
Paris agreement.
In relation to the conduct of work under the ADP, in the last session in
October, the G77 and China had stressed that the format of the future
sessions has to be modified and called for “focussed groups to be
established to enter into formal Party-driven negotiations.”
The LMDC also said that they were clearly against having “huddles” in the
process to resolve issues and that they will not accept a “take it or
leave” outcome text that Parties have not negotiated. The LMDC further
wanted the contact group to enable direct negotiations among Parties and
called for negotiations based on draft texts on the screen and on paper “in
order to narrow down differences, find convergence and achieve consensus.”
Similar sentiments were also expressed by the Arab Group, the African Group
and BASIC (Brazil, South Africa, India and China) who also called for work
to begin in more focused groups and asked the Co-chairs to appoint
facilitators for such groups. However, Australia and Russia were opposed to
having the focused groups and preferred to continue discussions in the same
setting as in the past where exchanges were conducted by the ADP Co-chairs,
with no text-based negotiations.
In the scenario note prepared by the Co-chairs for the Lima session, they
say that “focused negotiations under the contact group will be undertaken
in parallel meetings and facilitated by either one of them.” It is unclear
as to what is meant by “focused negotiations” and there are concerns as to
whether there will be any change in the mode of their work, as demanded by
developing countries.
*Multilateral Assessment Process under the SBI*The multilateral assessment
(MA) process is part of the IAR process established under the SBI for
developed countries, to promote the comparability of efforts of their
emission reduction targets. The IAR process comprises two steps: a
technical review of the biennial reports (BRs) of each developed country,
followed by the MA of the progress towards achieving the economy-wide
target by developed countries.
In the first round of the MA, which will take place on 6 and 8 December, 17
developed countries will be assessed. This includes the European Union, the
US, Switzerland and New Zealand. The countries assessed will be providing
responses to questions posed by Parties.
This exercise is bound to attract much attention, in order to gauge how
much or how little developed countries are doing in limiting the global
temperature rise to below 2 degree C. This process is linked to the
discussions currently going on to address the mitigation gap under the ADP
in the pre-2020 timeframe.
*Finance Issues under the COP/CMP*Given the recent announcements that up to
US$ 9.7 billion has been pledged to the GCF for four years (2015-2018), the
Lima talks are bound to witness reactions from developing countries over
the scale of the ambition and the adequacy of the efforts, as Parties
agreed in Cancun to mobilise US100 billion per year by 2020.
The Lima COP is expected to provide further guidance to the GCF as well as
to the Global Environment Facility (GEF) that is currently one of the
operating entities of the UNFCCC's financial mechanism.
Other matters on the COP agenda relating to finance include further work on
long-term finance; consideration of the report of the Standing Committee on
Finance (SCF) which includes recommendations on biennial assessment and
overview of climate finance flows; guidance to the GEF and the GCF;
outcome of the forum for the communication and continued exchange of
information among bodies and entities dealing with climate finance and
measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) of support beyond the
biennial assessment and overview of climate finance flows; fifth review of
the Financial Mechanism and further guidance to the Least Developed
Countries Fund.
The fifth review of the Financial Mechanism is supposed to be concluded in
Lima and is seen by developing countries as being very important as Parties
look into the whole financial architecture for climate finance, both inside
the Convention and its Kyoto Protocol and evaluate the current functioning
of the operating entities of the Financial Mechanism of the Convention
which are the GEF and GCF.
Under the CMP agenda, as regards the Adaptation Fund, Parties are also
supposed to provide further guidance to the Adaptation Fund Board and to
complete the consideration of the second review of the Fund.
*Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage *
At the last COP (COP 19) in Warsaw, after intense wrangling between the
developing countries and developed countries, Parties established the
International Mechanism for Loss and Damage associated with Climate Change
Impacts, which was viewed by many as a very significant outcome. COP 19
also established an Executive Committee (Excom) to guide the implementation
of the functions of the Mechanism.
Advancing further work for the implementation of the Mechanism is a very
important outcome for developing countries, and the consideration of the
mode of work of the Excom and the overall governance of the Mechanism will
be at the centre of the negotiations.
In Lima, the Subsidiary Bodies (SBI and SBSTA) will consider the initial
two-year workplan developed by the Excom this year and whether this plan
matches the expectations set for the Mechanism. They will also consider the
composition of, and procedures for the Excom and to recommend a draft
decision to the COP for adoption on finalising the modalities for the
organisation and governance of the Excom.
*National Adaptation Plans*
With resources soon to be available under the GCF, discussions on national
adaptation plans (NAPs) will be key in Lima. The Adaptation Committee (AC)
and the Least Developed Countries Expert Group (LEG) have completed
important analysis for this session on the gaps and needs in the current
experience on NAPs. However, key issues remain and many developing
countries are concerned that the current pace of efforts are
not matching the urgency of the issues related to adaptation and NAPs.
The Lima session will need to be clear for developing countries on how NAPs
will be received and supported by the GCF and how the Fund will
operationalize the actions identified in process of the formulation and
implementation of NAPs. In addition, the role that the AC, LEG, and the
Global Support Programmes for LDCs and non-LDCs will play remains unclear;
this must be addressed in Lima and cannot be postponed any further.
*2013-2015 Review*
The COP decided to periodically review the adequacy of the long-term global
goal and overall progress made towards achieving it. This is referred to as
the 2013-2015 review. In 2012, the COP decided to establish a structured
expert dialogue (SED) to support the work of the joint contact group of
SBSTA and SBI and to provide scientific inputs to the review.
The 4th meeting of the SED will be held in Lima in two parts on 2 and
3 December
respectively to consider the Synthesis Report of the IPCC’s AR5 as well as
other sources of information in assessing the adequacy of the long-term
global goal and the progress made towards achieving it.
The information gathered from all the previous SED meetings and the
proposed meeting in Lima will be summarised and conceptualised with a view
to closing the dialogue before the next session of the SBs (in June 2015).
The Co-facilitators of the SED have suggested adjourning the SED on 3
December and to resume the meeting in February 2015, in conjunction with
the ADP meeting in Geneva next year.
At the June session this year of the SBs, developing countries had pointed
out that the 2013-2015 review must not just address the long term
temperature goal, but must also assess the implementation of the
commitments by Annex I Parties particularly in finance and technology
transfer.
The outcome of the SED and the review is expected to inform discussions on
the long-term global goal currently on-going in the ADP on the Paris deal.
(*With inputs from Hilary Chiew) +
_______________________________________________
Aprn-egroup mailing list
Aprn-egroup at aprnet.org
http://aprnet.org/mailman/listinfo/aprn-egroup
The Asia Pacific Research Network (APRN) is a network of leading research
NGOs in the Asia-Pacific. It is active in promoting exchange, coordination
and capacity building support in research.
Any views or opinions presented herein are solely those of the author and
do not necessarily represent those of APRN.
This message and any attachments are intended solely for the addressee(s)
and are confidential. If you are not the intended recipient, you are
notified that any disclosure, distribution, printing or copying of this
communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this
communication in error, please notify the webmaster (webmaster at aprnet.org)
and delete this email message immediately.
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
"ADRRNgroup" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an
email to adrrngroup+unsubscribe at googlegroups.com.
To post to this group, send email to adrrngroup at googlegroups.com.
Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/adrrngroup.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
--
*Le Thanh Hai*
*Communication Acting Manager*
*Center for Marinelife Conservation and Community Development (MCD)*
Room 3104. Suite 34T, Hoang Dao Thuy Street, Cau Giay District, Hanoi
Mobile: 0988 27 29 47 / 0913 96 26 36
Email: lthai at mcdvietnam.org , lethanhhai1602 at gmail.com
<hai at vietsensetravel.com>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://ngocentre.org.vn/pipermail/ngoclimatechange/attachments/20141202/b3cdd79f/attachment-0014.html
More information about the Ngoclimatechange
mailing list