Curtain raiser

The twelfth sessions of the subsidiary bodies (SB-12) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC) will take place from 12-16 June 2000 in Bonn, Germany, preceded by one week of informal meetings scheduled for 5-10 June. Delegates to SB-12 and the informal meetings will work toward fulfilling the Buenos Aires Plan of Action (BAPA) adopted at the Fourth Conference of the Parties (COP-4) in November 1998. Under the BAPA, Parties set a two-year deadline for strengthening FCCC implementation and preparing for the future entry into force of the Kyoto Protocol. The Sixth Conference of the Parties (COP-6), scheduled to take place from 13-24 November 2000, in The Hague, the Netherlands, will mark the culmination of this two-year process.

SB-12 will focus on a range of technical and political issues aimed at laying the foundations for negotiations on a comprehensive agreement to be completed at COP-6. The Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI) will consider a number of issues, including national communications and the financial mechanism. The Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) will consider, inter alia: best practices in policies and measures among Parties included in Annex I to the FCCC; land use, land-use change and forestry; guidelines under Protocol Articles 5 (methodological issues), 7 (communication of information) and 8 (review of information); and the development and transfer of technologies. SBSTA and SBI will jointly consider the Protocol mechanisms, implementation of FCCC Article 4.8 and 4.9 and matters relating to Article 3.14 of the Protocol (adverse effects). The joint SBI-SBSTA working group on compliance under the Protocol (JWG) will resume work started during previous sessions of the subsidiary bodies. In addition, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) will present its recent scientific and technical reports.

INTERSESSIONAL HIGHLIGHTS

WORKSHOP ON COMPLIANCE UNDER THE KYOTO PROTOCOL: The workshop on compliance under the Kyoto Protocol was held from 1-3 March 2000 in Bonn, Germany. The workshop was designed to assist in developing elements of procedures and mechanisms relating to a compliance system for in-depth consideration at forthcoming meetings of the JWG. It was organized by the FCCC Secretariat and the Co-Chairs of the JWG. Participants heard presentations and discussed various issues, including: linkages between Articles 5, 7 and 8 and the compliance system; institutional design; outcomes or consequences of non-compliance or potential non-compliance; general provisions; and a framework. On the basis of discussions during the workshop, as well as their working paper resulting from consultations held in Montreux in February, the Co-Chairs developed a text that will help form the basis for negotiations at SB-12. For more information visit: http://enb.iisd.org/climate/cop6/tech_ws/compliance/ index.html

WORKSHOPS ON FCCC ARTICLE 4.8 AND 4.9: ADVERSE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE IMPACT OF IMPLEMENTATION OF RESPONSE MEASURES: Two workshops on FCCC Article 4.8 and 4.9 were held from 9-11 and 13-15 March 2000 in Bonn, Germany. They were organized by the FCCC Secretariat and the Chairs of the FCCC subsidiary bodies. The first workshop was held from 9-11 March to consider initial actions to meet the specific needs and concerns of developing country Parties and the specific needs and special situations of the least developed countries (LDCs) arising from the adverse effects of climate change. Participants heard presentations and engaged in discussions on the adverse effects of climate change on food security, water resources, economic activities, coastal zones and human health. They also considered initial actions related to funding, insurance and the transfer of technology to meet the needs and circumstances of developing countries. Other issues addressed included actions to: enhance capacity for monitoring, systematic observation and vulnerability assessment in developing countries; build capacity in environmental management and integrated assessment; and identify adaptation options and facilitate appropriate adaptation.

The second workshop was held from 13-15 March to consider the impact of the implementation of response measures to climate change. Participants considered methodological approaches and actions necessary under the FCCC relating to the impact of implementation of response measures on, inter alia, terms of trade, international capital flows and developmental efforts, in accordance with FCCC Article 4.8 and 4.9 and in the light of matters related to Protocol Article 3.14 (adverse effects). Participants also considered the nature, content and sources of information required, procedures and modalities for the provision of information, and actions needed. The specific needs and special situations of LDCs were also considered.

The Chairs of the FCCC subsidiary bodies produced a report that will provide input for discussions on these issues at SB-12 and SB-13, to be held in June and September 2000 respectively. For more information visit: http://enb.iisd.org/climate/cop6/tech_ws/ 4.8&4.9/index.html

WORKSHOP ON ISSUES RELATED TO ARTICLES 5, 7 & 8 OF THE KYOTO PROTOCOL: The workshop on issues related to Protocol Articles 5 (methodological issues), 7 (communication of information) and 8 (review of information) took place from 14-16 March 2000, in Bonn, Germany. Participants met in three working groups to consider: guidelines for national systems under Article 5.1; issues related to adjustments under Article 5.2 and to guidelines under Article 8; and issues related to guidelines under Article 7. Participants agreed upon a number of elements to be considered for inclusion in the guidelines. They also agreed to: use the FCCC reporting guidelines on annual inventories and national communications and the FCCC guidelines for the technical review of greenhouse gas inventories of Annex I Parties as a basis for the development of guidelines; and aim for the early adoption of these guidelines in order to facilitate preparations for the implementation of the Protocol by Annex I Parties. For more information visit: http://www.unfccc.int/sessions/workshop/000314/ index.html

PACIFIC ISLANDS CLIMATE CHANGE CONFERENCE: This meeting was held from 3-7 April 2000, in Rarotonga, Cook Islands. The meeting was organized by the South Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) in partnership with the National Tidal Facility, UNDP and the GEF, through the Pacific Islands Climate Change Assistance Programme. Participants considered a variety of climate change issues relevant to Pacific Island States, including: current knowledge and understanding of climate change and its impacts; scientific aspects of climate change; vulnerability and adaptation; capacity building; stakeholder involvement; and country reports and experiences. For more information visit: http://www.sprep.org.ws/whatsnew_.htm

WORKSHOP ON BEST PRACTICES IN POLICIES AND MEASURES: The Workshop on Best Practices in Policies and Measures (P&Ms) under the FCCC was held from 11-13 April 2000 in Copenhagen, Denmark. The workshop sought to: clarify the concept of best practices in P&Ms; identify the criteria used by countries to select, monitor and evaluate these practices; and enable countries to improve and enhance their reporting on best practice P&Ms. The meeting was co-sponsored by Denmark and France and organized by the FCCC Secretariat in cooperation with the SBSTA Chair. Participants met in seven working groups to discuss: national programmes; cross-cutting issues; indicators; methodological and institutional issues; and best practices in P&Ms to address CO2 emissions from energy supply, industry, transport, household and commercial sectors, and emissions of non-CO2 gases from energy, industry, agriculture, forestry and waste. A Chairs report of the workshop will be presented to SBSTA-12. For more information visit: http://enb.iisd.org/climate/cop6/tech_ws/ policies/info.htm

EFIEA CLIMATE POLICY WORKSHOP "FROM KYOTO TO THE HAGUE - EUROPEAN PERSPECTIVES ON MAKING THE KYOTO PROTOCOL WORK": The Second European Forum for International Environmental Assessment (EFIEA) Climate Workshop, "From Kyoto to the Hague - European Perspectives on Making the Kyoto Protocol Work," took place from 18-19 April 2000, at the Royal Netherlands Academy of Sciences in Amsterdam. It was sponsored by the Dutch National Research Programme on Global Air Pollution and Climate Change. The workshop aimed to bring together state-of-the-art scientific information from European research that is relevant to the European Union (EU) and its member States in preparing for COP-6, and to enhance the policy relevance of climate-related research in Europe. The workshop was divided into four thematic sessions: Kyoto mechanisms, sinks, implementation issues and European international climate strategies/leadership. Regarding the mechanisms, participants highlighted the potential benefits of the use of the mechanisms, while noting that there are sound reasons for domestic action. On EU leadership, it was noted that the EU has a long-term vision and can integrate climate change policy with other issues. A number of participants urged the EU to work to maintain the environmental credibility of the Protocol. On implementation, it was noted that EU enlargement is not relevant to implementing existing obligations under the Protocol. For more information visit: http://enb.iisd.org/crs/EFIEA/index.html

CONFERENCE ON INNOVATIVE POLICY SOLUTIONS TO GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE: This conference, co-hosted by the Pew Center on Global Climate Change and the Royal Institute of International Affairs, took place from 25-26 April 2000 in Washington DC, USA. Participants considered innovative policy measures being implemented by industrialized country governments and the private sector. Conference topics included: common policy approaches, such as taxes, trading and negotiated agreements; cross-cutting issues, including competitiveness and trade; energy and transport sector policies; and state and local programmes. For more information visit: http:// www.pewclimate.org/forms/innov_conf.html

16TH SESSION OF THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL PANEL ON CLIMATE CHANGE: This meeting took place from 1-8 May 2000, in Montreal, Canada. Participants considered the IPCC programme and budget for 2001-2003, the report of the previous session, and progress reports on the IPCC's Third Assessment Report. They also approved new IPCC reports on: Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF); Methodological and Technological issues in Technology Transfer; Emissions Scenarios; and Good Practice Guidance and Uncertainty Management in National Greenhouse Gas Inventories. For more information visit: http://www.ipcc.ch/

THINGS TO LOOK FOR TODAY

INITIAL BRIEFING AND INFORMAL MEETINGS: An initial briefing for participants attending this weeks informal meetings will be held at 10:00 am. It will be followed by informal meetings in parallel sessions on: Guidelines under Protocol Articles 5, 7 and 8; and FCCC Article 4.8 and 4.9 and Protocol Article 3.14. These two meetings will conclude at 1:00 pm and resume from 7:00 pm 9:00 pm. An informal meeting on LULUCF and a session on the Protocol mechanisms are both scheduled to begin at 1:00 pm. Consult the announcement board for further details.