Transcript Fine-Tuning GEF Secretariat: Work Program Agreements

Introduction to the Climate Change Regime:
the Role of the GEF
By Bonizella Biagini
Program Manager
Climate Change Adaptation
Global Environment Facility
IFAD Workshop, May 2007
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Scientific Evidence and UNFCCC
1988 Scientific Conference in Toronto
 1988 the IPCC was established
 FAR 1990
 SAR 1995
 TAR 2001 Balance of evidence
 Last IPCC report 2007 “Unequivocal”
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International Policy Response
1992 UNCED (UNFCCC, CBD)
 UNFCCC entered into force in 1994
 First COP in 1995 Berlin
 Last COP 12 in Nairobi
– Kyoto Protocol 1997
– Marrakech Accords 2001
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Climate Change Regime under the
Convention and Role of the GEF
UNFCCC
 Non Legally Binding Commitments
 Role of the GEF as Financial Mechanism
 Enabling Activities
 Short term and Long term activities
 Mitigation operational programs
 OP5,6,7 and later 11
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Kyoto Protocol
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Legally Binding Commitments for “Annex I
Countries”
Flexibility Mechanisms
– JI
– Emission Trading
– Clean Development Mechanism (no role for GEF)
Establishment of the Adaptation Fund (potential role for
GEF)
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Marrakech Accords (2001) under
the Convention (not the KP)
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Establishment of the new climate change
funds:
– The LDCF and
– The SCCF
The COP asked the GEF to manage the new
climate change funds
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Evolution of the UNFCCC and the
Climate Regime
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From the early 1990s to the year 2000 the
discussions under the UNFCCC were focused on
cc mitigation => how to address the causes of
climate change
Developed countries (Annex I) were asked to
make inventories of their GHG emissions and to
show their commitment to initially stabilize their
emissions to the 1990 levels (1992 mtg) in
National Communications
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Evolution of the UNFCCC and the
Climate Regime (continues)
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In Kyoto (2001), Annex I countries were asked
to commit to a joint 5% reduction by the year
2012, utilizing 3 flexibility mechanisms.
Developing countries refused to commit to
reduce their GHG emissions mainly for 2
reasons:
1. The responsibility of climate change is mostly due to
the build up of GHG concentrations through the
centuries from industrialized countries;
2. Developing countries need to increase their emissions
for basic development needs
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The need for adaptation
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In the year 2000, however, both scientific
evidence and political consensus brought the need
and the urgency for adaptation to the UNFCCC
negotiating table as a higher priority.
Besides the new funds, the Marrakech accords
also included decision 5/CP.7, which calls for
financing adaptation and guidance to the GEF
trust fund.
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GEF Climate Strategy evolves
accordingly
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The GEF Climate Change Operational Strategy,
formerly focused mostly on mitigation, started to
evolve consistent to Convention guidance
On adaptation, the GEF followed a staged
approach:
Stage I => Vulnerability and Adaptation
assessments
Stage II => Capacity building
Stage III => project preparation
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Marrakech accords (COP7) Convention
guidance to GEF moved from preparation to
implementation
The Strategic priority on Adaptation (SPA)
was created within the GEF trust fund
 The LDCF and SCCF were established,
funds were mobilized and the funds
operationalized
 And a total of $230 million for adaptation
projects on the ground were allocated
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Thank you
For more information
GEF Website: www.thegef.org
my e-mail: [email protected]
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