The Bonn climate change negotiations commenced last October 23, 2015 with a still contentious 33-page draft negotiating text two months before the 21st Conference of Parties (COP21) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Paris that is expected to adopt a new global climate agreement by December 2015.
The eleventh part of the second session of the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action (ADP 2.11) was held in Bonn, Germany from October 19 – 23, 2015.
The ADP2.11 commenced without reaching consensus between developed and developing countries led by the G77 and China. Even at this stage of negotiations, disagreements over key issues such as climate finance, and adaptation and loss and damage are still unresolved.
Developing countries were firm in their position on the issues of climate finance, and adaptation and loss and damage, reiterating that developed countries have the historical responsibility and legal obligations to provide finance and technology resources for poor and developing countries. But developed countries tried to evade this issue by not negotiating and hoped that ministers in the upcoming Paris talks will deal with it.
Although, there have been progress on emissions reduction plans beyond 2020, the current pledges by more than 150 countries are predicted to curb global warming to only 2.7 degrees Celsius, which still fall short of the two degrees Celsius limit that science require to avoid catastrophic and irreversible warming.
For civil society, the most controversial issue in this round of negotiations was the exclusion of observer parties in the whole negotiation process. This move by Japan and other developed countries have led to even more questions on transparency and openness of the process to observers and the public, especially, during the COP 21 in Paris.
*IBON CJ Watch offers timely updates on various climate-related issues and activities that must be followed for more informed climate justice advocacy and engagement.
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