Penseès

So, the informal UNFCCC climate talks in Bangkok, a preparation for COP18 on Doha, Qatar, started on 30th August an ended on 5thSeptember 2012. There were quite a number of outcomes, which we will go over shortly. For newbies, there usually are a number of informal preparation sessions ahead of the annual Conference of Parties talks, popularly known as COP. This year will be the eighteenth year, hence the term COP18.

The main issue on the table for this year’s talks in Bangkok was about renewing commitment and working out the modalities of a new Kyoto Protocol, also known as KP2, as the first phase of commitment period, which begun in 1995, comes to a close at the end of the year. Last year’s talks in Durban led to the Durban Platform, which was a consensus by parties that there was need for a second commitment period for the Kyoto Protocol.



Although the overall mood of most observers after the Bangkok talks was sceptical, there were a number of positive outcomes. In order to make sense of the outcomes, it is imperative that you understand the structure of the sessions. The main conference/workshop is usually organized in Ad Hoc working groups which usually deliberate on a specific topic. The three working groups for this session were the Ad Hoc working groups on the Durban Platform of Enhanced Workshop, the Kyoto Protocol and the long-term cooperative action (LCA).

• Ad Hoc working group on the urban Platform of Enhanced Workshop (ADP)

This is the working group that is tasked with working out the legal modalities that will guide the formation and implementation of the second commitment of the Kyoto Protocol. This is unarguably the biggest issue that will take centre stage at COP18, and the biggest challenge has always been in getting the biggest contributors of Green House Gas (GHG) emissions to commit to reducing these emissions. In the Bangkok talks, there was a general consensus that there was need to reduce GHG emissions by 2020 to pre-industrial levels. There was strong emphasis on bringing on board more parties to make pledges on reducing their emissions, as well as increasing the number of actions to be taken in realizing this objective. There was a strong call for ways of reducing the ambition gap and more parties increasing their emission reduction ambitions. To this effect, there was a suggestion that a ministerial round-table should take place in Korea before the COP18 Doha talks.

• Ad Hoc working group on long-term cooperative action (LCA)

The Durban Agreement was realized in 2011 as a result of the COP17 talks, and it was in this agreement that it was decided that LCA should close shop. As expected, this has brought about a lot of ruckus, with the tug of war being between developed countries which want the LCA closed down and developing countries which want it to wind up all its pending operations before closing shop. The main argument being put forth by the developing countries is that the LCA still has plenty of unfulfilled promises, and they have to be met before it is closed down. The main promise at the centre of the heated debate is that negotiations are to be guided by the latest scientific discoveries an studies, leading to an informed discussion process. Also entangled in this dispute is the finance mechanism to be adopted in compensating countries most affected by climate change an global warming. This mostly involves using market-based mechanisms to trade carbon credits, and there was some progress made as Australia and the EU proposed a way of achieving this. Also noteworthy is the fact that a finance committee, to deliberate on this issue, met for the first time in Bangkok. This committee has been tasked with coming up with proposals on how long-term financing for developing countries will be carried out so that they can manage the adverse effects of climate change an global warming. Also noteworthy is that a text for institutional arrangements for REDD+ (Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation plus) aimed at promoting this process to be transparent was prepared. This will be deliberated in Doha during COP18.

• Kyoto Protocol Working Group

As expected, this working group literally had ‘fireworks’ and was the theatre of the talks in Bangkok. As usual, there was a deadlock, and this time it was all about what should be happen to the emissions allowances that some parties still have. Unfortunately, this issue was not resolved. Also, Australia, who are considered one of the ‘enemies of emissions reductions’ partnered with the European Union in suggesting a controversial way for developed countries to commit to reducing their emissions as well as the ambition gap for 2020. This proposal involves having developed countries commit to low commitment levels at the onset of the climate talks, the increasing their commitment with time upon review. Most of the parties from developing countries felt that this was a commitment with an exit route as well as room for manipulation, but the chair of this working group was tasked with coming up text regarding the same that will be deliberate in Doha during COP18.

Conclusion

All in all, there are quite a few positives that we can take from these talks, especially with the hints towards the enforcement of a second commitment period, although many critics still feel that the issue is not being given as much weight as it deserves. But in the issues are becoming heavier and mire sensitive, and the increasing pressure from civil society and other parties should be leveraged in order to get a sensible outcome in Doha COP18.

Note: This website (http://insights.wri.org) came in very handy in researching material for this blog post, as well as the official UNFCCC website (http://www.unfccc.int)