[[{“type”:”media”,”view_mode”:”media_large”,”fid”:”609″,”attributes”:{“alt”:””,”class”:”media-image”,”height”:”320″,”style”:”width: 350px; height: 233px; margin: 5px; float: right;”,”typeof”:”foaf:Image”,”width”:”480″}}]]February 2015
The 20th Conference of Parties held in Lima last December was supposed to come out with the elements of a draft negotiating text, but when Parties continue to debate on what would shape the new climate agreement, they agreed to the Lima Call to Climate Action instead and set to meet again in Geneva to resume the unresolved discussions. The Lima Call for Climate Action only laid ground rules as to how countries can contribute to the development of a new deal. The unambitious Lima outcome offers a non-legally binding agreement focused heavily on the INDCs that requires both developed and developing countries alike to contribute to emissions reductions – undermining the principle of CBDR and historical responsibility.
The resumption of the discussions under the UNFCCC’s Ad Hoc Working Group on the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action (ADP) held in Geneva, Switzerland from February 8 – 13, 2015 came out with an 86-page long negotiating text that will be the basis of negotiations starting this June and to be adopted as the new climate protocol by the COP 21 in Paris this December.
Some of the Highlights surrounding the meeting:
- Pronouncements made by the UNFCCC Executive Secretary Christiana Figueras and the European Union chief climate negotiator Elina Bardram are already shaping public acceptance on a no-deal Paris outcome, stating that even if the ‘Paris Deal’ does not come out with a decision that limits global temperature rise to below 2 degrees Celsius, it does not mean that there is a failure in the climate talks;
- The supposed briefing session on support for Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) was strongly criticized by several developing countries because (a) it is mitigation-centric and sets aside the principle of the Convention on adaptation commitments and historical responsibility; and (b) nationally determined contributions will not add up to a global goal that saves the planet from catastrophic climate change;
- While it is good that human rights, indigenous peoples rights, gender are mentioned in the draft negotiating text, these should not be used as a substitute for the principles under the Convention of CBDR and historical responsibility of developed countries to provide reparation and climate finance to developing countries;
- While the 86-page long negotiating text ‘reflects’ all the proposals of Parties, the apparent corporate-capture of the climate agenda that continues to promote market-based profit-oriented false solutions and the blurring of CBDR and historical responsibility must be resolved by Parties in the next stages of the negotiations if we want a genuine and ambitious post 2015 climate protocol.
Upcoming Events to follow:
| 24 – 27 February | 7TH Meeting of the Adaptation Committee (UNFCCC – Bonn, Germany) |
| 02 – 04 March | Workshop on the means of implementation for enhanced adaptation action (UNFCCC – Bonn, Germany) |
| 14 – 18 March | Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan) |
| 01 – 11 June | Bonn Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC – Bonn, Germany) |
| 29 June | High-level Event on Climate Change (UN President’s General Assembly) |
| 19 – 23 October | 4th session of the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action (ADP) |
| 30 November – 11 December | UNFCCC COP 21, Paris |
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/feb/04/paris-climate-summit-missing-global-warming-target-would-not-be-failure?CMP=share_btn_tw
