Daily report for 17 May 2016

The Bonn Climate Change Conference continued Tuesday morning with the opening of the APA and a SBSTA informal consultation. In the afternoon, contact groups and informal consultations under the SBSTA and SBI met, and the SBI and SBSTA plenaries reconvened. A SBSTA workshop on types of revegetation activities potentially eligible as CDM project activities also took place in the afternoon.

APA

ORGANIZATIONAL MATTERS: Laurence Tubiana,
COP 21/CMP 11 Presidency, opened the session. The APA elected Sarah Baashan (Saudi Arabia) and Jo Tyndall (New Zealand) as the APA Co-Chairs.

Thailand, for the G-77/CHINA, called for the APA to give equal attention to all issues, and for flexibility for developing countries in the transparency framework.

Calling for focus on rules and guidance, including on the NDCs, the global stocktake and transparency, Australia, for the UMBRELLA GROUP, suggested conceptual discussions on how to take work forward.

Switzerland, for the EIG, said the session should improve parties’ understanding of the issues mandated to the APA, and proposed technical submissions and a Co-Chairs’ reflection note after this session. The EU welcomed the planned in-session stocktaking to review efforts on assigned work.

Maldives, for AOSIS, called for simplified procedures for SIDS to access resources to implement climate actions.

Saudi Arabia, for the ARAB GROUP, stated the group’s expectations for a party-driven and inclusive process.

Colombia, for AILAC, called for protecting environmental integrity and human rights, and support for developing countries to implement their NDCs.

Venezuela, for the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA), said climate change limits the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Mali, for the AFRICAN GROUP, stressed that the APA must be comprehensive, and reflect the “delicate” balance achieved in the Paris Agreement. He identified building blocks for modalities on transparency of action and support, including flexibility and support.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo, for the LDCs, asked for assurance that all issues would receive equal and balanced treatment on the agenda.

TRADE UNION NGOs (TUNGOs) called for including a just transition as an element of the global stocktake.

WOMEN AND GENDER urged parties to utilize the Lima Work programme on gender to take forward work to ensure climate responsiveness in all policy areas.

YOUNGOs called on parties to take into account future generations when making difficult decisions, noting the “youth are here to help.”

BINGOs called for synergy with the 2030 Agenda and working to realize the “unprecedented message” of support to business from COP 21.

CAN emphasized the need for: raised ambition; a roadmap for the US$100 billion pledge; scaled up pre-2020 targets; and agreement on support for loss and damage.

CJN! stressed “staying true to the spirit of Paris” and called geoengineering a “false solution.”

INDIGENOUS PEOPLES said guidance on NDCs should ensure full and effective participation of indigenous peoples and should include social safeguards.

The APA then suspended to allow further consultations on the agenda.

SBSTA

In the afternoon, plenary reconvened to hear opening statements.

Thailand, for G-77/CHINA, highlighted SBSTA’s work on agriculture, calling it “the backbone” of socio-economic development in developing countries.

Mexico, for the EIG, looked forward to considering the IPCC’s contribution to the global stocktake and assessing the Nairobi Work Programme.

Emphasizing the role of technology development and transfer, the EU said the Paris Agreement’s technology framework should not require additional institutional arrangements.

Panama, for CfRN, highlighted REDD+ as one of the key mechanisms to fight climate change, and, with Maldives, for AOSIS, and Australia, for the UMBRELLA GROUP, called for designing the market-based mechanism under the Paris Agreement to ensure environmental integrity.

Mali, for the AFRICAN GROUP, stressed the importance for the UNFCCC and the IPCC to align assessment report cycles with global stocktakes.

Bolivia, for ALBA, underlined the need for consideration of all parts of Article 6 (cooperative approaches) including non-market mechanisms.

Colombia, for AILAC, emphasized maintaining the balance achieved in the Paris outcome, including by identifying how the IPCC will inform the global stocktake and guidance on the accounting of financial resources.

GLOBAL OBSERVING SYSTEM FOR CLIMATE (GCOS) invited parties to contribute to its work by reviewing the GCOS implementation plan.

WORLD CLIMATE RESEARCH PROGRAMME (WCRP) highlighted the role of science for formulating successful climate policies and committed to providing sound analysis and predictions.

INTERNATIONAL CIVIL AVIATION AUTHORITY (ICAO) expressed concern about using the aviation sector to finance actions in other sectors.

INTERNATIONAL MARITIME ORGANIZATION (IMO) outlined actions taken to reduce emissions, including the creation of a fuel consumption database.

Underlining that mitigation and adaptation require different skill sets, the RESEARCH AND INDEPENDENT NGOs (RINGOs) stressed that social scientists and legal scholars are needed as much as physical scientists.

CAN characterized the current INDCs as “completely inadequate,” calling the 2018 facilitative dialogue a key opportunity to review, revise and resubmit NDCs in line with science and equity.

CJN! condemned establishing new markets and rejected offsetting to allow the rich to use more than their fair share of atmospheric space.

INDIGENOUS PEOPLES highlighted their expertise in all aspects of implementation of the Paris Agreement, and urged consideration of forests’ non-carbon benefits.

BUNKER FUELS: In plenary, the EU encouraged parties to “take the spirit of Paris to ICAO and IMO.” The SBSTA plenary will reconvene to consider this item.

WORKSHOP ON TYPES OF REVEGETATION ACTIVITIES POTENTIALLY ELIGIBLE AS CDM PROJECT ACTIVITIES: In the workshop, participants discussed: experiences with revegetation activities; types of revegetation activities; and types of plants and management activities potentially eligible under the CDM. Participants discussed a suggestion that the notion of revegetation distinguish between areas falling within the definition of forest, in which case existing guidance on afforestation and reforestation could be used, and areas that do not and where new guidance is needed. During discussions, several countries described, inter alia, how revegetation can bring many socio-economic co-benefits. Countries also made proposals on how to classify revegetation, whether on the type of activities or function.

MATTERS RELATED TO ARTICLE 6 OF THE PARIS AGREEMENT (COOPERATIVE APPROACHES): Guidance on article 6.2 (Internationally transferred mitigation outcomes): In informal consultations, parties’ suggestions included the need for balance across the three work programmes under Article 6, and elaborating the work programmes through submissions from parties, technical work including a technical paper on options, and technical workshops.

Guidance on article 6.4 (Mechanism to contribute to mitigation and support sustainable development): Parties stressed the need for common understanding on, inter alia, the mechanism’s scope, the role of non-state actors and the linkages with other parts of the Agreement.

Guidance on article 6.8 (Framework for non-market approaches): Parties discussed the need for, inter alia: a work programme; clarity of terms; drafting groups; and elements of the decision text. Consultations will reconvene on 18 May.

SBI

In the afternoon, the SBI plenary reconvened.

Australia, for the UMBRELLA GROUP, with many others, underscored the critical work of the SBI to achieve the objectives agreed in Paris. The EU underscored the importance of developing modalities for the Paris Committee on Capacity-building, and of the next periodic review of the long-term global goal (LTGG).

Thailand, for the G-77/CHINA, called for recording adaptation communications in the public NDC registry maintained by the Secretariat. The Republic of Korea, for the EIG, called for creating an accessible and simple NDC registry, and Mali, for the AFRICAN GROUP, underlined the need to clarify its objective, function and nature.

Maldives, for AOSIS, called for discussions on the inputs to the 2018 facilitative dialogue. The Democratic Republic of the Congo, for the LDCs, urged developing a roadmap for accomplishing the tasks arising from Paris.

Ecuador, for ALBA, hoped that the third review of the Adaptation Fund would facilitate increased provision of resources. Costa Rica, for AILAC, emphasized the importance of addressing adaptation, and loss and damage.

WORLD METEOROLOGICAL ORGANIZATION (WMO) underlined the need for scaled-up support for its work in supporting developing countries.

TUNGOs indicated willingness to contribute ideas to the work programme on just transition.

WOMEN AND GENDER emphasized technology transfer should be made accessible to women. YOUNGO underscored focus on public participation to ensure delivery of NDCs.

CAN called on developed countries to present a finance road map at COP 22.

CJN! expressed concern about increasing private sector control over “public policy making.”

INDIGENOUS PEOPLES called for an expert technical workshop on traditional knowledge, local knowledge systems and knowledge of indigenous peoples.

INTERGOVERNMENTAL MEETINGS: In the contact group, participants discussed COP 22/CMP 12 organization, and organization of the intergovernmental process, including the role of observers. Many supported discussions on improving observer engagement. BINGOs called for recognized and regular interfaces. CAN suggested increasing opportunities for submissions. MOROCCO, as the incoming COP/CMP Presidency, assured continued engagement on the issue. On the way forward, the EU proposed an in-session workshop, submissions or an examination of best practices. Consultations will continue on 18 May.

ADMINISTRATIVE, FINANCIAL AND INSTITUTIONAL MATTERS: Financial and budgetary matters: In plenary, the SBI agreed that Chair Chruszczow would prepare draft conclusions, in consultation with interested parties.

Continuing review of functions and operations of the Secretariat: The SBI agreed to consider this sub-item at SBI 46.

Privileges and immunities under the Kyoto Protocol and the Convention: The SBI agreed that Peter Horne (Australia) would facilitate informal consultations on both sub-items.

SBSTA/SBI

RESPONSE MEASURES: In the contact group, the G-77/CHINA suggested areas for enhancing cooperation, including: facilitation of technical collaboration; cooperation in modeling and assessments taking into account developing countries’ priorities; partnerships with research organizations; and collaboration for a just transition. AOSIS, called for an “action-oriented focus.” SOUTH AFRICA called for identifying vulnerabilities. The EU called for, inter alia: a pragmatic and comprehensive approach to maximize participation and inputs; and an interactive process in which substantive discussions may generate the need for ad hoc technical expert group meetings.

SCOPE OF NEXT PERIODIC REVIEW OF LTGG: During the contact group, most parties agreed that to avoid duplication of work, the scope of the next review should be discussed after the modalities of the global stocktake are agreed. Parties discussed whether discussions should resume at SB 46 or SB 48. Draft conclusions will be prepared before the 19 May meeting.

IN THE CORRIDORS

The second day of the Bonn talks opened with a full plenary room for the first meeting of the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Paris Agreement (APA). The plenary started with a rapid election of the body’s first Co-Chairs, which proved particularly amicable as delegates congratulated themselves for electing two women. Despite this, some worried that parties were falling back into old habits and entrenched political discussions with disagreement on the details of the agenda. A delegate noted the parallel between the previous day’s disagreement on the SBI agenda, and the current deadlock over the APA agenda, which he said both reflect the concerns of some parties to treat adaptation on an equal footing with mitigation. Some delegates hoped that the new Co-Chairs would be able to rise to this early challenge and solve the agenda issues, especially given the solidarity expressed during the plenary.