Slow Progress at the Bonn Climate Change Talks
20th June 2011 by Madlen King
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres, summarised the outcome of the Bonn talks when talking about the link between negotiations on mitigation under the UN Climate Change Convention and mitigation under the Kyoto Protocol, when she said that: “we will require high-level leadership during the year”.
It seems that in order for any agreements or even acceptable options, there is a great deal of negotiation yet required. Ms. Figueres said that the incoming South African presidency had been actively consulting and planning for COP17 in Durban. Presently, a ministerial conference is planned for 2-3 July in Berlin, ministers will meet one month prior to COP17 and a third ministerial consultation is also on the cards. There is also potential for discussions at the UN General Assembly in New York in September.
Some successes were achieved in Bonn, for example progress was made on the Technology Mechanism that will boost global clean technology cooperation, defining a Climate Technology Centre and Network. In addition, progress was made on the composition and role of the Adaptation Committee, such that the Committee could be fully operationalised in Durban.
However the talks were once again overwhelmed by disagreements on the future of the Kyoto Protocol, as Canada, Japan and Russia continue to object to a second commitment period.
The continued disagreement on the fundamentals have lead to a proposal to change the rules for voting under the UNFCCC. Bloomberg reported on a draft amendment which calls for decisions to be ratified by only a three-fourths majority “if efforts to reach consensus have been exhausted”. This would be a step further from the endorsement of the Cancun Agreements last year, which occurred in the absence of the agreement of Bolivia.
On the more detailed discussions of new market mechanisms, non-market based mechanisms and improvements to the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) little was concluded.
For new market mechanisms in the post 2012 period, discussions only commenced on the many broad and various proposals put forward.
On non-market based mechanisms discussions commenced on subjects such as: the removal of fossil fuel subsidies (estimated to lead to a 10% reduction in global GHG emissions by 2052); the phasing down of the production and consumption of hydrofluorocarbons (HFC’s) (to address the risk that the Montreal Protocol in phasing out HCFCs tends to phase in HFCs); and the development of global environmental labels, seen as key for incentivising changes in production and consumption patterns.
In relation to the CDM no decision was made on the subjects of new HCFC 22 plants, carbon capture and storage (CCS), materiality, or the appeals body, leaving the Durban talks to deliver the goods on these subjects.
Madlen King is the Global Head of Climate Change & Sustainability. She ensures the technical integrity of LRQA climate change and sustainability services and liaises with external bodies and governments on climate change. Within this role, Madlen is responsible for the service design, delivery and maintenance of accreditations for all GHG validation and verification schemes [...]