Delegates
to the resumed Sixth Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC met in
negotiating groups in the morning, afternoon and evening to discuss:
compliance; mechanisms; financial issues; and land use, land-use
change and forestry (LULUCF). Above photo: The dias in the negotiating
group on LULUCF.
Right:LULUCF
Co-Chairs Philip Gwage (Uganda) and Harald Dovland (Norway)
with members of the Secretariat
In
cooperation with the UNFCCC Secretariat, the ENB will also publish ENB
on the side- a special daily report on selected side events from
COP-6bis. a special daily report on selected side events from
COP-6bis.
NEGOTIATING GROUPS:
COMPLIANCE: Co-Chair Slade suggested that delegates focus on five
issues: consequences; composition; appeal; relationship with the
COP/MOP; and principles. Developing countries also highlighted the
operation of the facilitative branch, as proposed in Pronk's text.
MECHANISMS:
The negotiating group on mechanisms met in the morning, and completed
its first consideration of the negotiating texts. Delegates compared
Pronk's text with the negotiating text carried forward from The
Hague, and identified contentious issues for consideration in the High
Level Ministerial Segment. During the discussions, a number of
delegates expressed their general support for Pronk's text, subject
to further clarification on technical issues.
Regarding participation in project activities under the Clean
Development Mechanism (CDM), several developing countries welcomed the
removal from Pronk's text of the requirement to submit national
communications. On the issuance of certified emission reductions (CERs),
one speaker questioned the involvement of CDM institutions in
distribution activities, and said 15 days was too short for issuing
CERs. One developing country expressed concern with the provisions in
the Pronk text on the adaptation fund. On supplementarity and
environmental integrity, a developing country called for new
proposals, and noted an earlier proposal by one Annex I Party on
dealing with surplus assigned amounts.
Above photo: Members of the Chinese Delegation
LULUCF:
This group met in afternoon and evening sessions.
During the afternoon, delegates were presented with a joint
proposal from Canada, Australia and Japan on the issue of scale in
Article 3.4 forest management, and a proposal by New Zealand
addressing scale and additionality in this context. The former
proposal relies on negotiated maximum levels of allowable forest
management credits for individual countries, as opposed to the formula
approach, including caps and discount rates, in the Pronk text. It was
presented as a clear and transparent approach, with levels set that
account for: the Party's national circumstances; the degree of
effort required by the Party to achieve its emissions limitation;
forest management measures the Party is implementing or planning to
implement; and whether it incurs a net source of emissions under
Article 3.3. It was noted that the proposal seeks to replace only
parts of the Pronk text and should be viewed in concert with it. In
addition, it applies to the first commitment period only. Above photo:
Canada making an intervention during LULUCF
FINANCIAL
ISSUES: This group met in afternoon and
evening sessions. In the afternoon, delegates discussed the
development and transfer of technologies. Participants discussed the
Annex, clearing a number of outstanding brackets. In the section of
the Annex on capacity building, delegates discussed language on
steps by developed country Parties relating to implementation of
capacity building. After brief consultations, they agreed to a
compromise whereby the bracketed word "additional" was replaced
with "adequate" in relation to the provision of financial and
technical resources. Left photo: Dechen Tsering (Bhutan) chairs the
negotiating group on finance.
Around COP6bis:
Above
photos: Delegates rely on the daily ENB to keep up to date on the
negotiations
Left:Delegates
mingle in the Cafe outside of Plenary I
Right photo L-R: ENB team members Chris Spence, Lisa Schipper and
Malena Sell
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