Transcript 080214-Intl-pol-frameworks-and-their-implications-for-Africa

International policy frameworks
and architectures on climate change
Katharine Vincent
Background to an agreement on
climate change
•In the late 1980s scientists brought climate
change to attention of policy-makers in US
•WMO and UNEP established the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in
1988
•Publication of the first assessment report led the
UNGA to consider a framework convention
(UNFCCC)
UNFCCC
•Signed in 1992 at the Rio Earth Summit by
practically every state (including the US)
•Commits countries to working together to
address the issue of climate change BUT it has
no binding targets or obligations – they come in
the form of protocols to the framework
convention
Kyoto Protocol
•Signed at Kyoto, Japan in 1997
•Commits developed countries to reduce their
greenhouse gas emissions by 8-12% on 1990
levels by 2008-2012
•There are no commitments to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions for developing
countries (note this is why the US does not
support Kyoto)
Kyoto Protocol 2
•To enter into force, the protocol had to be
ratified by a certain number of countries making
up a certain % of the 1990 greenhouse gas
emissions
•The US is the biggest emitter and withdrew in
2001 – so it was thought the Protocol would
never come into force
How does the Kyoto Protocol work?
To help countries meet their targets there are
several flexible mechanisms within the Kyoto
protocol:
• joint implementation (where developed
countries can fund projects in transition
countries to improve energy efficiency etc, and
have the carbon reductions offset against their
targets)
•clean development mechanism (essentially the
same thing but in developing countries)
•emissions trading (carbon trading), e.g. EU
ETS
The negotiation of the Kyoto
Protocol
•Took 5 years after signing the UNFCCC for the first
Protocol to be negotiated
•Took 8 years after signing the first Protocol for it to
be ratified and come into force
•Primarily nation states, but several groupings (EU,
G77, OPEC, the Umbrella Group)
•Negotiations take place at annual Conferences of
the Parties (meetings of signatories to the UNFCCC)
– and now also Members of the Parties to the Kyoto
Protocol
COP/MOP history
COP-1 (1995) – Berlin, Germany
COP-2 (1996) – Geneva, Switzerland
COP-3 (1997) – Kyoto, Japan
COP-4 (1998) – Buenos Aires, Argentina
COP-5 (1999) – Bonn, Germany
COP-6 (2000) – The Hague, Netherlands
COP-6.5 (2001) – Bonn, Germany
COP-7 (2001) – Marrakech, Morocco
COP-8 (2002) – New Delhi, India
COP-9 (2003) – Milan, Italy
COP-10 (2004) – Buenos Aires, Argentina
COP-11/MOP-1 (2005) – Montreal, Canada
COP-12/MOP-2 (2006) – Nairobi, Kenya
COP-13/MOP-3 (2007) – Bali, Indonesia
Who attends the COP/MOP?
•National government delegations who work in
their own interests and that of any coalitions to
which they belong (DEAT leads the South African
delegation)
•NGOs and interest groups (CAN as an epistemic
community)
•Business (can form an effective obstacle)
What is negotiated at the COP/MOP?
•The rules of operation of the law, e.g.
•compliance and penalties for non-compliance
•technology transfer
•carbon sinks
•financial support for adaptation
Often polarised into developed country/mitigation
issues and developing country/adaptation issues
Beyond the COP/MOP?
•International Secretariat of the UNFCCC is
situated in Bonn, Germany
•Responsible for assisting with reporting
requirements, e.g. National Communications
(reports on status of GHG emissions by sector etc)
and National Adaptation Plans of Action (NAPAs)
•Intermediate technical meetings (Subsidiary Body
on Information-SBI and Subsidiary Body on
Scientific and Technological Advice-SBSTA)
Is the Kyoto Protocol a success?
•In terms of climate change – no! Reductions are
too small after sinks were incorporated after COP6.5 (the 2003 UK Energy White Paper says that
we need to reduce emissions by 60% by 2050 to
stop dangerous climate change)
•In terms of global environmental governance –
yes! (for so many countries to negotiate
international environmental law is a first)
What will happen post-2012?
•Bali roadmap outlines 2 year process to finalise
the post-2012 regime
-based on “nationally appropriate” mitigation
options by developing countries
•Continue with Kyoto? Expand Kyoto? Modify
Kyoto based on carbon pricing? Focus on
adaptation?
Alternative regimes 1
•Washington Declaration (signed 2007)
-Global cap-and-trade system to be in operation
by 2009
-supported by Canada, France, Germany, Italy,
Japan, Russia, UK, US, Brazil, China, India,
Mexico, South Africa
Alternative regimes 2
•The G8 leaders in June 2007 agreed to aim to
half greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, with the
specifics to be worked out by environment
ministers and to include the big-emitting
developing countries
Alternative regimes 3
•The Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean
Development and Climate
-to encourage projects aimed at clean energy
capacity; has no enforcement mechanism
-supported by Australia, China, India, Japan,
South Korea and the US
Africa and the UNFCCC
•Most states are signatories to the UNFCCC
•Most states are signatories to the Kyoto Protocol
-no reduction commitments under Kyoto first
commitment period, highly likely South Africa
will have a reduction commitment under Kyoto
second commitment period
•Benefits from the flexible mechanisms (CDM) –
over 80% of CDM projects in Africa are in South
Africa
Sources of further information
•UNFCCC website
http://unfccc.int
•Earth Negotiations Bulletin (reporting service
covering negotiations – COP/MOPs and
SBI/SBSTA meetings)
http://www.iisd.ca/enbvol/enb-background.htm