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Coverage of Selected Side Events at the Warsaw Climate Change Conference - November 2013

11-22 November 2013 | Warsaw, Poland


Side Events (ENBOTS) Coverage on Thursday, 21 November 2013
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UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon during the “COP Presidency Cities and Sub-national Dialogue” side event.

The following side events were covered by ENBOTS on Thursday, 21 November 2013.

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COP Presidency Cities and Sub-National Dialogue

Presented by the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Secretariat
David Cadman, President, ICLEI, called on the Polish COP Presidency to reintroduce “4F and 5B” into the ADP text to provide a solid basis for cities and subnational governments.
Recognizing the complications inherent to the COP process, Gustavo Petro, Mayor, Bogotá, Colombia stated that simultaneously cities need to build a new discussion, a new paradigm and a new vision, centered on sustainability.
Pascal Canfin, Minister for Development, France, stressed that if subnational authorities are not included in the negotiation text by the time parties meet at COP 21 in Paris in 2015, an agreement will not be reached.
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Panel (L-R): Marcin Korolec, COP19 President, Poland; Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary-General; Christiana Figueres; UNFCCC Executive Secretary; Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz, Mayor, Warsaw, Poland.

Mark Kenber, CEO, the Climate Group, moderated the session. COP 19 President Marcin Korolec, Poland, stated that climate policy should be about action, emphasizing the need to create a platform to exchange best practice about cities.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon emphasized the “shared responsibility” of the climate crisis and the need to turn crisis into opportunity, highlighting that the local level is where policies are implemented.

Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz, Mayor, Warsaw, Poland, underscored the “voice of the cities.” Christiana Figueres, UNFCCC Executive Secretary, recognized delegates’ disappointment with the most recent version of the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action (ADP) text, which reduced emphasis on subnational actors, stressing that the ocean current is moving in the right direction, even if the waves are not.

Kenber introduced the first interactive discussion on enhancing adaptation and resilience at the local level. Paul Oquist Kelley, Minister and Private Secretary for National Policies, Nicaragua, stressed that for every dollar not invested in mitigation, more will be needed for adaptation.

Acknowledging the low-lying nature of the Netherlands, Wilma Mansveld, Minister of Environment, the Netherlands, noted that national governments should support local governments, for example by removing regulatory barriers.

Tony De Brum, Minister in Assistance to the President, Marshall Islands, pointed to solar energy investments and testing ocean thermal energy conversion technologies. Tunc Soyer, Mayor, Seferihisar, Turkey, underscored the need to “maintain sensitivity at the local level,” noting that without citizen support, efforts will not be successful.

Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan, Governor, Delta State, Nigeria, highlighted last year’s flooding, wherein 40% of Delta State was submerged, leading to mass displacement. George Heartwell, Mayor, Grand Rapids, Michigan, US, suggested that every city should produce strategic plans containing practical climate change adaptation measures and an emergency preparedness plan.

Gustavo Petro, Mayor, Bogotá, Colombia, highlighted social inequality challenges in Latin American cities, which will be further challenged by climate change impacts. Aisa Kirabo Kacyira, Deputy Executive Director, UN-HABITAT, identified several UN-HABITAT supported programmes, including the Global Land Tool Network (GLTN) and the Cities and Climate Change Initiative (CCCI).

Rachel Kyte, World Bank, stressed the need to put the tools to address climate change in the hands of subnational leaders, including finance, basic regulations and national support frameworks.

Kenber introduced the next panel on enhancing global mitigation efforts through action at the local level.

Pascal Canfin, Minister for Development, France, cautioned that if cities and local authorities are not on board, no agreement will be possible in Paris in 2015. Seongkyu Yoon, Minister of Environment, Republic of Korea, highlighted the role of dialogue as a catalyst to build stronger partnership, and pointed to the need for international information clearing houses.

Highlighting that local governments are the closest level to citizens, Geraldo Julio, Mayor of Recife, Brazil, emphasized strengthening contacts with local people.

Tang Jie, Deputy Mayor, Shenzhen, China, highlighted Shenzhen’s rapid economic and population growth, requiring: urban planning; public transport; and energy efficiency.

Penny Ballem, Vancouver, Canada, stressed that mitigation needs longer-term plans protected from the “polarized swing of politics.” Gronkiewicz-Waltz acknowledged EU support for the upgrading of Warsaw’s public transport system, as well as efforts to address wastewater treatment and waste-to-energy technology.

Noting that 50% of people live in cities, Ronan Dantec, Councilor, Nantes, France, voiced that local authorities have the greatest space to make mitigation changes, pointing to the Nantes Declaration. Ephraim Kamuntu, Minister of Water and Enviornment, Uganda, acknowledged Uganda’s rapid transition and related urbanization, stressing learning from other global cities which link urban planning, social equity and green environments.

Heinz Leuenberger, UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), stressed cities are important to UNIDO because: most companies are located in urban areas; companies can provide services to cities including public transport and wastewater treatment; and contaminated industrial sites need to be improved. Dominika Kulczyk-Lubomirska, Vice-President, Green Cross Poland, introduced three programmes: the Green Cities Programme; the Green Economy; and a Green App for smart phones.

Offering closing remarks, David Cadman, President, ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI), emphasized the need for national parties to work with national, subnational and private actors to address climate change, “profoundly urging” the Polish presidency to reintroduce text within the ADP to raise the profile of local and subnational climate actors and actions.

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Panel (L-R): Paul Oquist Kelley, Minister and Private Secretary for National Policies, Nicaragua; Wilma Mansveld, Minister of Environment, the Netherlands; Tony De Brum, Minister in Assistance to the President, the Marshall Islands; Tunc Soyer, Mayor, Seferihisar, Turkey; Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan, Governor, Delta State, Nigeria; George Heartwell, Mayor, Grand Rapids, Michigan, US; Gustavo Petro, Mayor, Bogotá, Colombia; Aisa Kirabo Kacyira, Deputy Executive Director, UN-HABITAT; and Rachel Kyte, World Bank.
More Information:

http://unfccc.int/meetings/warsaw_nov_2013/items/7880.php

www.cop19.gov.pl

Contacts:

Fernando Castellanos Silveira (Coordinator)
fcsilveira@unfccc.int

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Matthew Collins, WGI Coordinating Lead Author, University of Exeter, UK, noted regional change may be influenced by multiple factors such as regional feedbacks, natural variability and circulation changes.
Focusing on observation, understanding and the future, Gian-Kasper Plattner, WGI TSU, addressed what has changed regarding climate change, as well as how it will change in the coming decades.
Renate Christ, Secretary, IPCC, moderated the session and introduced the first of a series of IPCC videos on AR5, presenting main findings.

This side event, moderated by Renate Christ, Secretary, IPCC, focused on key findings of the AR5 “Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis,” as well as ways key user communities can use the report to facilitate decision-making. Christ introduced the IPCC and its work, underscoring the need for interaction with the report’s users.

Gian-Kasper Plattner, WGI Technical Support Unit (TSU), provided highlights of the report, a cumulative effort of 259 authors from 39 countries. He stressed that: warming of the climate system is unequivocal as each of the last three decades has been successively warmer at the Earth’s surface than any preceding decade since 1850; it is extremely likely that human influence has been the dominant cause of the observed warming since the mid-20th century; and limiting climate change will require substantial and sustained reductions of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Addressing report findings at the regional level, Matthew Collins, WGI Coordinating Lead Author, University of Exeter, UK, underlined that although a thorough assessment of global mean changes in temperature is possible because of multiple lines of evidence, fewer studies are available for assessment of temperature and precipitation at large regional scales. He said that the Annex I Atlas provides basic information about regional changes, stressing that it is a climate model output and not an assessment of the likelihood of changes.

Emma Lindberg, Ministry of Environment, Sweden, talked about the usefulness of the IPCC report to society underscoring the need to engage key actors in taking climate action and support policymakers’ initiatives to deal with the challenge.

Sandrine Dixson-Decleve, Director, EU Corporate Leaders Group, provided business perspectives, focusing on the ways business and policymakers can best communicate climate science including the need to tailor the IPCC Report to local and regional settings. She presented recommendations for the future and identified communication challenges, including the need for paradigm and system shifts, while recognizing that policy was slowed by lobbying interests and disinterest from citizens.

Enrique Maurtua Konstantinidis, Climate Action Network (CAN) Latin America, introduced CAN and focused on its international and regional actions to: spread the science message through CAN’s members across the world; promote climate action in the regions based on Regional Node’s Capacities; and raise public awareness.

During discussion, Jean-Pascal van Ypersele, Vice-Chair, IPCC, joined the panel and participants posed questions inter alia on: related work for higher altitudes; whether the 2°C target is feasible and safe; educational systems and consumption patterns; and the way to address corporations.

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Panel (L-R): Jean-Pascal van Ypersele, Vice-Chair, IPCC; Matthew Collins, WGI Coordinating Lead Author, University of Exeter, UK; Gian-Kasper Plattner, WGI TSU; Renate Christ, Secretary, IPCC; Enrique Maurtua Konstantinidis, CAN Latin America; Sandrine Dixson-Decleve, Director, EU Corporate Leaders Group; and Emma Lindberg, Ministry of Environment, Sweden.
More Information:

www.ipcc.ch/report/ar5/wg1/#.Uo4pl8Rwqmk

Contacts:

Jonathan Lynn
jlynn@wmo.int




Daniel Buira, Director General, Instituto Nacional de Ecología y Cambio Climático (INECC), Mexico, said that success would help to attract new partners to the CTCN, providing insight to Mexico’s preparedness.
Richard Kinley, Deputy Executive Secretary, UNFCCC Secretariat, said that technology is at the center at the global effort to come to grips with climate change and realize sustainable development, congratulating all for the successful launch of the CTCN.
Achim Steiner, Executive Director, UNEP, acknowledged the strong leadership and partnerships in the consortium, along with the support from early investments, which have set the way to deploy the priorities.

Zitouni Ould-Dada, UN Environment Programme (UNEP), announced that the CTCN is officially “open for business,” encouraging nominations of Nationally Designated Entities (NDEs) and submission of proposals to receive support for the development and deployment of technology.

Achim Steiner, Executive Director, UNEP, said the operationalization of the CTCN is proof of the COP’s ability to make decisions with consequences. He congratulated the strong consortium of partners, explaining that success of the CTCN depends on the nominations for NDEs and engagement.

Richard Kinley, Deputy Executive Secretary, UNFCCC Secretariat, reflected that the CTCN is a “landmark achievement,” marking the successful completion of the design phase. He announced that the CTCN is ready to respond to requests to create low-carbon pathways.

Franz Perrez, Ambassador for the Environment, Switzerland, expressed hope that National Cleaner Productions Centres will join the network to reduce mitigation by 2020.

Griffin Thompson, Chair, CTCN Advisory Board, US, reported that the CTCN is “focusing on projects, not paragraphs, generating watts, not words, and represents where ambitions meets adaptation.” He clarified that the CTCN will respond to requests from developing countries.

Harry Kalaba, Minister of Lands, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection, Zambia, shared that the Technology Needs Assessment (TNA) created a prioritized list for submission to the CTCN. With consideration for a NDE underway, he reported on a national fund to provide cross-sectoral support.

Mary Ann Lucille Sering, the Philippines, highlighted that the CTCN can help avoid the poverty trap. She said that although weather events have challenged her country, they are not defeated, seeing clean technology as an opportunity to rebuild.

Ousmane Fall Sarr, Chair, Senegalese National Committee on Climate Change (COMNACC), welcomed the establishment of the CTCN to support efforts to respond to global challenges, especially for the more vulnerable countries.

Daniel Buira, Director General, Instituto Nacional de Ecología y Cambio Climático (INECC), Mexico, described the CTCN as a “globally transformational” tool, in part as a portal for a broader network sharing domestic innovations to generate partnerships.

Rezaul Karim, Bangladesh, agreed that the TNA has made a clear conceptual pathway that the CTCN will help to actualize. He pointed to the need for Bangladesh to focus on adaptation to reduce poverty and increase energy, water and food security.

CTCN Interim Director Mark Radka, UNEP, characterized the network as a spirited youthful nucleus where enthusiasm is coupled with pragmatic guidance, underscoring the need for draft decisions to continue their evolution.

Fred Onduri, Vice-Chair, CTCN Advisory Board, Uganda, said he was impressed by developing countries who have integrated TNAs to quantify and monetize technology needs either within a national budget or to help lobby for bilateral support.

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Panel (L-R): Daniel Buira, Director General, INECC, Mexico; Griffin Thompson, Chair, CTCN Advisory Board, US; Richard Kinley, Deputy Executive Secretary, UNFCCC Secretariat; Zitouni Ould-Dada, UNEP; Achim Steiner, Executive Director, UNEP; Ousmane Fall Sarr, Chair, COMNACC, Senegal; Harry Kalaba, Minister of Lands, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection, Zambia; Mary Ann Lucille Sering, the Philippines; Rezaul Karim, Bangladesh.
More Information:

www.unep.org/climatechange/ctcn/

Contacts:

Asher Lessels (Coordinator)
alessels@unfccc.int




Seminar on Integrated Risk Governance for
Climate Change Adaptation and Green Development


Presented by the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST)
Qian Ye, Beijing Normal University, China, highlighted the outcomes of Hurricane Sandy and Typhoon Haiyan, noting these were the costliest hurricane and deadliest typhoon, stressing impacts are visiting both developed and developing countries.
Dongdong Xie, Shanghai Pudong Academy of Reform and Development Research, China, said intervention by government is a two blade sword, outlining the industrial dynamic in emerging green industries and saying that without government intervention the solar industry is in danger.

Moderator Jiansheng Zhang, CAST, introduced their association, saying they encourage and promote Chinese scientists to the international arena through exchanges.

Qian Ye, Beijing Normal University, China, summarized that extremes will become the new norm, underscoring that risk must be incorporated into the sustainable development process, including through: international and domestic policies; new development models and infrastructure; increased understanding of risks; and the social dimension of technological change.

Hongxia Duan, Xiameng University, China, discussed China’s green development, presenting options for the West and East of China to transition. In the West, she highlighted: poverty reduction; investment in ecological services and environmental protection; and programmes for capacity building. In the East, she proposed to: learn lessons from the past GDP-driven models; improve social justice; and achieve emission reductions.

Jiansheng Qu, China Academy of Sciences, discussed opportunities for green development, noting it poses both challenges and risks. He reflected on the IPCC AR-5, highlighting new understandings of surface temperature and CO2 concentrations. He addressed mitigation and adaptation actions saying fundamental changes are required, such as through research and development, noting a gap between research and development (R&D) and what is required.

Puja Sawhney, Institute for Global Environmental Studies (IGES), discussed the Asia Pacific Adaptation Network (APAN) and its role in climate change adaptation in the region. She noted the particular vulnerability of the Asia Pacific region to climate change due to high population growth, extreme poverty and a lack of knowledge. She highlighted the aim and scope of the International Conference on Loss and Damage, saying the meeting noted the need for knowledge and data sharing, as well as cooperation with other knowledge and data sharing networks.

Dongdong Xie, Shanghai Pudong Academy of Reform and Development Research, China, addressed green industrial development and the role of government, examining the case of the solar photovoltaic (PV) industry in China. He outlined the boom and bust cycle solar companies have faced, noting many are now bankrupt, and said that the institutional environment could be critical in preventing such problems.

Puja Sawhney, IGES, identified green growth as a holistic approach that aims to develop sustainable livelihoods while securing biodiversity and sustaining environmental and ecosystem services.
Hongxia Duan, Xiameng University, China, said the East faces challenges in that it has a coal-dominated energy system and an industry dominated economic structure, increasing the economic risk during any transition.
More Information:

http://english.cast.org.cn/

Contacts:

Wang Chen
wangchenchen@cast.org.cn




Ronan Dantec, Councilor, Nantes, France, stressed that local authorities are the “only political level that has the capacity to speak with a common voice” to address climate change.
Gino Van Begin, Secretary General, ICLEI, introduced the Warsaw Dialogues, the Nantes Declaration and related efforts to encourage local authority engagement within the climate negotiations.
Acknowledging cities are in the middle of important causal changes, Naoko Ishii, CEO and Chairperson, the GEF Secretariat, noted the GEF’s interest in investing in cities to influence demand and supply of services.

Referring to cities as a platform for ambitious climate action, Gino Van Begin, Secretary General, ICLEI, highlighted that before COP 15 in Copenhagen, some 3,500 cities agreed to targets more ambitious than the Kyoto Protocol commitments. He pointed to the first Cities Day, held in cooperation with UNFCCC and the Polish COP Presidency, yet raised concerns that the ADP text referring to subnational actors has been “watered down.”

Ronan Dantec, Councilor, Nantes, France, pointed to city networks and horizontal learning amongst cities across national borders, stressing the link between sustainable development and climate change, specifically the influence of the post-2015 development agenda process on COP 21 in Paris in 2015.

David Cadman, President, ICLEI, acknowledged that while climate change has fallen off the priority for national governments, at the local level it is still actively addressed. He referred to ICLEI’s work with UN Major Groups, stressing doubling efforts to make Paris the “largest success we can make it.”

Naoko Ishii, CEO and Chairperson, the GEF Secretariat, indicated the GEF’s desire to work with cities. Identifying major trends including an increasing population, rising middle class and urbanization, she highlighted that cities are quicker to act and learn from each other to achieve meaningful results.

Karin Kemper, World Bank, introduced the Low-Carbon, Livable Cities Initiative, highlighting there are many reasons for the World Bank to be interested in cities, including rapid urban migration rates, slum growth and credit worthiness improvements.

Jorge Wolpert, National Housing Commission, Mexico, presented Mexico’s climate change legislation. He stressed the need for national government representatives to work alongside local authorities and referred to the development of a Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Action (NAMA) for housing and a NAMA for urban areas.

Mercedes Bresso, First-Vice President, EU Committee of Regions (CoR), stated that within the EU the dialogue between subnational, national and EU government levels is strong. She urged the EU to place a stronger role on local authorities’ inclusion within future COP discussions.

Frank Cownie, Mayor, Des Moines, Iowa, US, underscored that mayors will remain present at the COP, to protect their citizens, to acknowledge the need for capacity building, dialogue, financing and push for intergenerational equity.

RA Rajeev, Principal Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Government of Maharashtra, India, spoke of ongoing efforts to improve renewable energy and energy efficiency as well as engagement with the joint ICLEI and UN-HABITAT Urban Low Emission Development Strategies (Urban-LEDS) programme.

Gustavo Petro, Mayor, Bogotá, Colombia, highlighted ongoing efforts to address mitigation, adaptation and behaviour change, including inter alia: an emphasis on public transport; inclusion of cycling infrastructure; relocation of local communities from vulnerable areas; and waste management and recycling programmes.

Cownie closed by quoting Bob Dylan, “Let us not speak falsely now, the hour is getting late.”

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Panel (L-R): Gino Van Begin, Secretary General, ICLEI; David Cadman, President, ICLEI; and Ronan Dantec, Councilor, Nantes, France.
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Panel (L-R): Gino Van Begin, Secretary General, ICLEI; Naoko Ishii, CEO and Chairperson, the GEF Secretariat; Karin Kemper, World Bank; and Mercedes Bresso, First-Vice President, CoR.
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Panel (L-R): Gustavo Petro Urrego, Mayor,  Bogotá, Colombia; Gino Van Begin, Secretary General, ICLEI; Frank Cownie, Mayor, Des Moines, Iowa, US; RA Rajeev, Principal Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Maharashtra, India;George Heartwell, Mayor, Grand Rapids, Michigan, US; Geraldo Julio, Mayor, Recife, Brazil; Penny Ballem, City Manager, Vancouver, Canada; and Tunc Soyer, Mayor, Seferihisar, Turkey.
More Information:

www.iclei.org

Contacts:

Yunus Arikan (Coordinator)
yunus.arikan@iclei.org




Local Leadership Creating Resilient Communities

Presented by the California Governor’s Office and ICLEI US
George Heartwell, Mayor, Grand Rapids, Michigan, US, said that “the timeline of diplomatic initiatives is lengthy, we can’t wait for international agreements to address issues we have at home, we are optimistic and working where we are.”
Franklin Cownie, Mayor, Des Moines, Iowa, US, shared successful initiatives such as: Sustainable Communities Regional Planning (SCRP) Grant Program; EPA's Greening America's Capitals programme; and All-Star Community Awards programme.
Mike McCormick, California Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR), US, discussed that connecting the dots among the various levels of government is the next step to promote efficiency in the US.

Nancy Sutley, Chair, White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), US, welcomed the opportunity for local communities to contribute to national and international solutions, particularly in light of the expected increase in frequency and severity of climate change impacts. She outlined US initiatives such as the US Climate Action Plan and the Council on Climate Preparedness and Resilience, to build safe and strong infrastructures.

Sharing that California is on track to meet targets for 2020, Mike McCormick, California Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR), US, reviewed tools to support implementation, such as the Adaptation Planning Guide for Local Governments. On the relationship between different levels of government, he explained that it is not possible to reach goals without regional and local partners.

Franklin Cownie, Mayor, Des Moines, Iowa, US, said that the current US administration has provided more opportunities for local governments to create green infrastructure and exchange.

George Heartwell, Mayor, Grand Rapids, Michigan, US, commented on the “intricate dance” between local and national governments, saying that even in the absence of nationally policies, impacts of climate change must be addressed on the local level. Professing that this is his first COP, he expressed optimism that cities have a voice at the table in find ways to link international agreements and national policies with on the ground actions.

Brian Holland, ICLEI USA, outlined the ICLEI network to link and share tools with over 1000 dedicated cities to climate action, resilience and sustainable development. He explained that cities are essential to help solve the climate problem, because they are where implementation happens.

During discussions, panelists counted communication and education of innovation and cost-savings as key to maintaining progress on sustainability initiatives. On the overload of information available, Holland suggested endorsing existing portals and Heartwell recommended finding low-hanging fruits, celebrating them and moving on. Panelists agreed on promoting exchanges among youth, domestically and internationally.

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Panel (L-R): Brian Holland, ICLEI USA; George Heartwell, Mayor, Grand Rapids, Michigan, US; Franklin Cownie, Mayor, Des Moines, Iowa, US; and Mike McCormick, OPR, US.
More Information:

www.icleiusa.org

http://gov.ca.gov/home.php

Contacts:

Mike McCormick (Moderator/Coordinator)
michael.mccormick@opr.ca.gov




From Negotiations to Action on the Ground - Promoting Coherence on Adaptation Across the UNFCCC

Presented by the Netherlands and the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI)
Pablo Vieira, Vice-Minister, Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, Colombia, provided insight from the Colombian experience in adaptation to climate change through watershed planning and management.
Than Thuc, Institute of Meteorology, Hydrology and Environment, Viet Nam, presented on inter-linkages between UNFCCC programmes and climate change response activities in Viet Nam.
“I strongly believe that we need to build a global regime to provide countries with effective tools to take adaptation measures both now and in the future climate agreements” noted Wilma Mansveld, Minister of Infrastructure and the Environment, the Netherlands.

This side event, moderated by Karin Lexén, Chair, SIWI, provided an informal platform to explore how increased coherence on adaptation can be achieved and how cooperation between Parties and stakeholders can be strengthened to support enhanced action on adaptation at all levels.

Wilma Mansveld, Minister of Infrastructure and the Environment, the Netherlands, stressed that water management constitutes a cross-cutting issue and the most crucial challenge in adaptation. She noted that case studies reflect how adaptation measures taken at local level relate to the global level.

Shyla Raghav, Conservation International (CI), said National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) allow countries to share lessons, as well as technical information and guidance. She underscored the challenge of integrating emerging issues and linking adaptation and development at a broader scale.

Kathleen Dominique, Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), addressed knowledge production and dissemination, pointing to human resources on the ground that can support activities under the UNFCCC.

Thinley Namgyel, Climate Change Division, Bhutan, addressed the historic path since COP 7 that led to NAPs, stressing they constitute a catalyst to support bringing together all relevant stakeholders.

Drawing from the Colombian experience, Pablo Vieira, Vice-Minister, Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, Colombia, presented three adaptation projects, namely the Integrated National Adaptation Plan (INAP), a regional comprehensive plan on climate change (PRICC) and INAP 2, underlying that the pathway to go beyond mitigation goes through NAPs.

Than Thuc, Institute of Meteorology, Hydrology and Environment, Viet Nam, addressed inter alia: National Target Programs to Respond to Climate Change (NTP-RCC); the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM); REDD+ programmes; a green growth strategy; NAMAs; and the NAP in Viet Nam.

Following the presentation of the case studies, Rodrigo Suárez, Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, Colombia, Christoph Feldkötter, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), Germany, Shereen D’Souza, Department of State, US, and Kyekyeku Yaw Oppong-Boadi, Environmental Protection Agency, Ghana, formed a panel that addressed questions on the links between adaptation and mitigation, the contribution of the private sector and the role of local communities.

Suárez stressed the importance of indigenous knowledge, calling for a bottom-up approach, while Feldkötter underlined that NAPs are a good way to bring all stakeholders together and identify entry points in the system. D’Souza underscored the need for a constant dialogue to ensure that the reality of practitioners are reflected in the policies and Oppong-Boadi reflected on knowledge transformation, stressing that mitigation actions may lower adaptation costs. Sonja Koeppel, UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), summarized the discussion.

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Panel (L-R): Karin Lexén, Chair, SIWI; Wilma Mansveld, Minister of Infrastructure and the Environment, the Netherlands; Shyla Raghav, CI; Kathleen Dominique, OECD; and Thinley Namgyel, Climate Change Division, Bhutan.
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Panel (L-R): Rodrigo Suárez, Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, Colombia; Kyekyeku Yaw Oppong-Boadi, Environmental Protection Agency, Ghana; Christoph Feldkötter, GIZ; and Shereen D’Souza, Department of State, US.
More Information:

www.siwi.org

www.government.nl/ministries/ienm

Contacts:

Karin Lexen (Coordinator)
karin.lexen@siwi.org




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The Earth Negotiations Bulletin on the side (ENBOTS) © <enb@iisd.org> is a special publication of the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD). This issue has been written by Tasha Goldberg, Jennifer Lenhart, Anna Schulz and Asterios Tsioumanis. The Digital Editor is Brad Vincelette. The Editor is Liz Willetts <liz@iisd.org>. The Director of IISD Reporting Services is Langston James “Kimo” Goree VI <kimo@iisd.org>. The opinions expressed in ENBOTS are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of IISD and funders. Excerpts from ENBOTS may be used in non-commercial publications only with appropriate academic citation. For permission to use this material in commercial publications, contact the Director of IISD Reporting Services at <kimo@iisd.org>. Electronic versions of issues of ENBOTS from the Warsaw Climate Change Conference - November 2013 can be found on the Linkages website at http://enb.iisd.org/climate/cop19/enbots/. The ENBOTS Team at the Warsaw Climate Change Conference - November 2013 can be contacted by e-mail at <anna@iisd.org>.

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