COP 17: Durban

UPDATE: Read WRI’s summary of the outcome of the Durban talks and review of key issues: Reflections On COP 17 In Durban

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From November 28 to December 8, 2011, the United Nations hosted the 17th Conference of the Parties (COP) in South Africa.

WRI experts were in attendance at this latest meeting under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to help inform the talks. Below, you can find a variety of materials from the World Resources Institute that shed light on key areas of international climate policy.

Adaptation

World Resources Report 2010-2011: Decision Making in a Changing Climate: WRI’s flagship report offers specific, practical strategies and innovative case studies to inform how to integrate climate change risks into national policies and planning.
Report | Website

• Making Adaptation Count: Concepts and Options for Monitoring and Evaluation of Climate Change Adaptation: A practical framework for monitoring and evaluation systems to track the success and failure of adaptation initiatives.

Finance

• Power, Responsibility, and Accountability: Re-Thinking the Legitimacy of Institutions for Climate Finance: An objective analysis of ongoing efforts to finance mitigation and adaptation in developing countries.

Greenhouse Gas Accounting

• Greenhouse Gas Protocol Product Life Cycle Accounting and Reporting Standard: Provides requirements and guidance for quantifying and publicly reporingt an inventory of GHG emissions and removals associated with a specific product.
• Greenhouse Gas Protocol Corporate Value Chain (Scope 3) Accounting and Reporting Standard: Provides requirements and guidance for preparing and publicly reporting a GHG emissions inventory that includes indirect emissions resulting from value chain activities.

International Agreement

Building the Climate Change Regime: Survey and Analysis of Approaches: Seeks to identify concrete pathways for building an international “climate change regime” by surveying academic literature and proposals by NGOs and governments.

• Assessing Non-Annex I Pledges: Building a Case for Clarification: Builds a case for the need to clarify the assumptions, methodologies, and other critical details underlying non-Annex I GHG mitigation activity pledges.

Science

• Blog post: Five Takeaways from the IPCC Report on Extreme Weather and Climate Change
• Blog post: IPCC Report Adds To Studies Tying Climate Change To Extreme Weather
• Blog post: Study Testing Skeptics’ Critiques Reconfirms Basic Climate Science
• Blog post: Q & A On The Release Of Climate Science 2009-2010

Technology

Two Degrees of Innovation—How to Seize the Opportunities in Low-Carbon Power: A strategic framework for policymakers seeking to capitalize on the low-carbon transition.
Working Paper | Fact Sheet

• Grounding Green Power: Bottom-Up Perspectives on Smart Renewable Energy Policy in Developing Countries: Identifies key components of smart renewable energy policy in developing countries.