Transcript Moving forward from Copenhagen: avenues for

Moving forward from
Copenhagen: avenues for
cooperation and action
Yvo de Boer
Executive Secretary
UNFCCC
The UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen
2009
While disappointing to many, the conference was important
because:
• It raised climate change policy to where it belongs: the
highest political level;
• It advanced critical technical issues in the Bali Road Map
negotiations
• It produced the Copenhagen Accord (not legally binding):
• A letter of political intent; 109 countries have associated
• 2°C
• short-term and long-term finance
• a review by 2015
• targets; actions
What is not in the Copenhagen Accord
• US targets for 2030 and 2050
• EU objective to reduce emissions by 80 -95% by 2050
• Mexico’s intention to halve emissions by 2050 compared to
2002
• China’s desire to change the direction of growth
• Seizing the opportunity in the energy sector – IEA: halving
emissions possible by 2050, but requires energy revolution
• Targets for 2020 are modest; fundamental change is
needed to achieve 2050 targets
• Investments to 2020 vs.
investments to 2050
Copenhagen: unresolved issues
1. Issues which came close to being concluded in the AWGLCA and AWG KP
2. Unresolved issues on which the Copenhagen Accord may
provide points of convergence, e.g.:
• How to translate the long-term goal of 2C into emissions
reductions
• MRV
3. Remaining issues on which little progress was made
• First negotiating session: 9 – 11
April 2010
Priorities during 2010
• Rebuild confidence and trust
• Progress is needed on finance:
• the 30 billion USD for adaptation and mitigation in
developing countries need to flow - EU
• Clarity on what “legally binding” could entail
• Procedure to use points of convergence in the Accord to
conclude the Bali Road Map negotiations
Different interests and concerns in the negotiations
• Developed countries: fear the price tag of action, loss of
competitiveness and carbon leakage
• Developing countries: fear targets imposed through the
backdoor
• Small Island developing countries: fear that too little
ambition will lead to their demise
• Oil producing countries: fear the adverse effects of
response measures
• ALBA countries: fear that a solution
based on capitalist principles will not
translate into a solution
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The view of developing countries
Developing countries are hesitant to engage because:
• Targets have not been met by industrialised countries –
developing countries not ready to abandon the Kyoto Protocol
• Finance has not been provided
• They fear that climate change action will constrain their
economic growth
• There is a lingering suspicion towards the industrialised world
• The benefits of engagement are not clearly perceived
The UN Climate Change Conference in Mexico 2010
•
Objectives for Mexico should be realistic; the needs of
developing countries need to be addressed
1. Fully operational architecture that makes it possible for
developing countries to act on climate change
• Adaptation, mitigation, REDD, technology, capacitybuilding
• Clarity on how to generate, administer the 100 billion
USD
• Avenues for cooperation to make it work
The UN Climate Change Conference in Mexico 2010
2. Clear leadership by industrialised countries – rich
countries have not managed to reduce emissions per capita,
so should not expect developing countries to do so
3. Clarity on the Kyoto Protocol - developing countries
•
Progress could lead to consensus to turn the outcome into
a legal treaty in the future.
Climate Change policy in a broader context
• An opportunity for advancing sustainable economic
development objectives:
• Convergence of climate change and energy security
agendas
• Economic costs of impacts
• Green growth
• Climate resilience
Avenues for cooperation through the climate
change regime with adequate finance
Mitigation, e.g.:
• NAMAs;
•Technology mechanism to boost technology transfer;
• Capacity-building;
• REDD;
Adaptation, e.g.:
• Adaptation framework to support work at regional and
national levels;
• Mechanisms to manage loss and
damage, including insurance;
Avenues for cooperation: private sector involvement
• The private sector will be key in implementation
Directly through the climate change regime:
• Existing market mechanisms; new mechanisms
• Possibility of generating new funding
Outside the regime, but with benefits for the climate:
• Business increasingly driven by sustainability issues which:
• are increasingly greening growth, e.g. energy efficiency
standards
• boost cooperation on green innovation
Avenues for cooperation: the development
community #1
The development community needs to assist developing
countries, especially LDCs, African countries and Small Island
Developing States:
• assist to respond to the most pressing adaptation needs
• identify critical technology gaps for adaptation
• assist in implementing long-term adaptation in the context
of overall development strategies
Avenues for cooperation: the development
community #2
• Assist in mitigation planning:
• identify options to leap-frog emissions-intensive
growth
• identify investment needs and technology gaps for
mitigation
• assist in implementing mitigation actions
Thank you