Topic: COP-17 Durban

WRI and UNEP Submission to the UNFCCC For Increasing Ambition

Remi Moncel — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 10:09:33 -0400

Read the submission to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) on increasing ambition from WRI and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

Download the Submission (PDF, 154 Kb)

In Cancun at COP16/CMP6, UNFCCC Parties agreed to limit a rise in global average temperature to 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and to consider strengthening this goal to 1.5 degrees Celsius. The UNEP report Bridging the Emissions Gap, released in 2011, found that current country pledges for 2020 are not adequate to reduce emissions to a level consistent with the 2 degree or 1.5 degree target, with an emissions gap in the range of 6-11 GtCO₂e in 2020. However, the report demonstrates that this emissions gap can be bridged through many economically and technologically feasible options.

Despite several achievements at COP17/CMP7 in Durban, levels of ambition remain insufficient. Increased action is therefore urgently needed now, as well as up to and after 2020, to bring the aggregate ambition level in line with what science suggests is necessary. The level of ambition may be defined as the anticipated collective level of Parties’ greenhouse gas emissions by a certain date, based on successful implementation of their pledges and commitments under the UNFCCC and other relevant initiatives.

This submission focuses on options within the UNFCCC for increasing climate ambition. These options are complementary and include practical recommendations for the COP and CMP.

Our recommendations, discussed in depth in the submission (PDF, 154 Kb), include:

Revise existing commitments to increase ambition before 2020
Negotiate new commitments for the post-2020 period in line with the science
Enhance coverage of sectors and climate forcers
Scale up finance, technology and capacity building
Support and replicate effective implementation
Promote mitigation actions with an emphasis on co-benefits
Promote equity and environmental integrity
Establish consistent, complete, comparable, transparent, and accurate common accounting rules for Annex I emission reductions
Clarify Annex I and non-Annex I pledges
Launch rigorous, credible and effective periodic reviews

Download the submission from WRI and UNEP (PDF, 154 Kb)

STATEMENT: A Climate Deal Comes Together in Durban

Michael Oko — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 22:40:27 -0500

As the climate talks concluded today, Parties agreed to move forward with a “Durban Package” that includes a pathway forward on a legally-binding instrument for all countries, an agreement on a second commitment for the Kyoto Protocol, and a set of decisions to implement the Cancun Agreements, including the Green Climate Fund.

Following is a statement by Jennifer Morgan, Director, Climate and Energy Program, World Resources Institute:

“A roller-coaster two weeks ended with a major climate deal in Durban. Significantly, countries will now negotiate a legally-binding agreement covering both developed and developing countries by 2015, which would cover post-2020 emissions targets and actions. However, there was little progress to close the significant gap between countries’ emissions levels and what’s needed to stay within two degrees Celsius of warming.

“Durban represented a fork in the road between a legally-binding system and a voluntary one. In the end, the European Union, the United States, China, India, along with vulnerable countries in Africa and small islands opted for a path toward an international climate regime.

“The European Union, in particular, came into the conference with a willingness to enter into a second commitment period under the Kyoto Protocol. Working closely with allies in the least-developed countries and small island nations, the EU injected ambition into the talks. The result is a clear pathway for countries to enter the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol.

“Countries also pushed ahead with the implementation of the Cancun Agreements. Most notably, they agreed to make the Green Climate Fund operational, and set up a work plan to mobilize significant climate funds from both private and public sources. Currently, however, the funding level is insufficient to meet the commitments. Though details remain to be sorted out, there was also progress on other core issues, such as adaptation, REDD+, and technology.

“On the other hand, the lack of a common accounting framework for developed countries is a significant step backward. This will make it very difficult to know how countries targets compare against the 2 degrees Celsius goal.

“Finally, while negotiators forged a hard-won agreement, countries need to take further steps to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and shift to a lower-carbon and safer future.”

-End-

Note to reach Jennifer Morgan in Durban, Tel. +27 (0) 72 579 5783; jmorgan@wri.org

Assessing Non-Annex I Pledges: Building a Case for Clarification

Maggie Barron — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 13:53:32 -0500

Introduction

Under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change’s (UNFCCC) Cancun Agreements, both Annex I and non–Annex I Parties have announced a diversity of mitigation targets and actions respectively for emissions reduction by 2020. While Annex I Parties have put forward economy-wide emissions reduction targets, non–Annex I Parties have proposed a variety of nationally appropriate mitigation actions (NAMAs). These non–Annex I actions include economy-wide goals (e.g., business-as-usual goals, carbon neutrality goals, and intensity goals) as well as sectoral actions, project-level activities, and policies (e.g., energy efficiency measures, no-till farming, projects related to mass transport systems, and investments in renewable energy sources).

Although the targets and actions of Annex I and non–Annex I Parties are different in form due to the principle of common-but-differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, many are similar in their lack of clarity regarding critical details, assumptions, and methodologies. For example, many of these pledges do not specify aspects such as which sectors or gases are covered, which methodologies are used for estimating expected reductions, if applicable, and/or the role of offsets. Without this and other information, it is challenging to track progress towards fulfillment of pledges, to ensure transparency, to estimate resulting emissions reductions, and to assess whether overall global emissions reductions are adequate for meeting global temperature limits.

For Annex I Parties, these problems should be resolved through the negotiation of common accounting rules. Although beyond the scope of this paper, the design of such rules is a critically important determinant of the regime’s environmental integrity. While common assessment methodologies for non–Annex I countries may be developed in the future, it is unlikely that the 17th Conference of the Parties (COP-17) in Durban, South Africa, will resolve this issue.

There are a number of reasons for this, including the principle of common-but-differentiated responsibilities, the level of complexity of various types of non–Annex I actions, and the lack of experience in this field compared to the common accounting rules developed for Annex I Parties under the Kyoto Protocol from which Annex I Parties can draw. In the absence of a set of provisions similar to those discussed for Annex I, clarification of non–Annex I actions can assist in providing transparency and tracking performance for domestic and international purposes.

While this paper focuses on clarification of non–Annex I actions, we first explain how common accounting rules for Annex I targets resolve the lack of clarity surrounding targets for developed countries. The remainder of the paper is devoted to discussing why and how non–Annex I Parties’ pledges should be clarified. In doing so, we describe the benefits of clarification, as well as the related mandates under the Cancun Agreements. We then outline the specific clarification needs associated with each type of non–Annex I action. It should be noted that this paper focuses only on non–Annex I pledges that are stated in terms of emissions reductions or emissions limitation and not on pledges that are framed in terms of indicators unrelated to emissions (e.g., capacity building initiatives). Lastly, we recommend decisions that can be made in Durban to formalize both common accounting rules for Annex I targets and a clarification process for non–Annex I actions.

ADVISORY: Press Teleconference: What To Expect at the Durban Climate Talks

Michael Oko — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 10:03:33 -0500

As the climate meetings in Durban, South Africa, approach, it is a key moment to find a way forward with international cooperation to address climate change.

On Tuesday, November 22, WRI will host a press teleconference where leading experts will discuss the state of play, and key issues such as the future of the Kyoto Protocol, climate finance, and the role of the United States and other countries.

You can read WRI’s overview blog post on the Durban talks, here.

WHAT
Press teleconference on UNFCCC climate negotiations in Durban (COP17)

WHO
Jennifer Morgan, Director, Climate & Energy Program

Jacob Werksman, Director, Institutions & Governance Program

Edward Cameron, Director, International Climate Initiative

Clifford Polycarp, Senior Associate, International Financial Flows & Environment Project

WHEN
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
9:30 a.m. EST//14:30 GMT
Media should dial-in 10 minutes prior to the start time

DIAL-IN (CORRECTED) U.S. Toll Free: 866-803-2143
International/U.S. Toll: ++1-210-795-1098

Access code: DURBAN

You can find WRI’s resources for Durban and follow developments, here

COP 17: Durban

Kevin Lustig — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 13:42:52 -0500

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

More information on China and climate change at ChinaFAQs.

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.

STATEMENT: Australia Passes Historic Climate Legislation

Michael Oko — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 17:53:34 -0500

On Tuesday, the Australian senate passed legislation that will set a price on carbon and help meet its emissions targets.

The Australian government previously committed to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 5 percent by 2020 and 80 percent by 2050 (both below 2000 levels).

Following is a statement by Jennifer Morgan, Director of WRI’s Climate and Energy Program:

“Australia has joined a growing list of countries taking national action to address climate change. This law is a major step forward for this large and coal-dependent nation, demonstrating its commitment to a low-carbon economy.

“Australia has set a fixed carbon price of $23 per ton, which will continue until July 2015. At that point, an emissions trading system with reduction caps will begin operating. In addition, Australia has created a new $10 billion Clean Energy Finance Corporation to invest in renewable energy.

“While Australia’s targets should eventually be strengthened, this is a solid down payment on its clean energy future.

“As countries prepare for climate negotiations in Durban, South Africa, the passage of this legislation should provide a spark for those ready to move beyond talk and take action on climate change.”

To read the legislation go here.

For more on Australia’s national climate policy go here.

Building the Climate Change Regime: Survey and Analysis of Approaches

Maggie Barron — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 15:45:08 -0400

About this Paper

The purpose of this paper is to help climate change negotiators, other government officials, international institutions, and civil society experts as they jointly work to build the post-2012 international climate regime. The climate regime is defined here as the set of international, national and sub-national institutions and actors involved in addressing climate change. The paper seeks to identify concrete pathways for building a regime capable of delivering a level of action consistent with the objective of the Convention. It does so by surveying and analyzing the academic literature as well as proposals by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and governments. The authors group proposals according to the key issue they tackle in the design of the regime and the “approach” they take. The five key issues discussed are:

Options under the UNFCCC to increase ambition
Options outside the UNFCCC to increase ambition
Sharing the mitigation effort under the UNFCCC
The role of various actors in tracking country performance on mitigation
The legal form of a future climate agreement

It is important to note that all approaches are meant to be complementary rather than mutually exclusive. While the paper does not make recommendations about which approach to adopt, it assesses each approach against three criteria: adequacy, equity, and implementation.

PRESS RELEASE: New Research Reveals Pathways for Action on Climate Change

Lauren Zelin — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 10:20:07 -0400

Paper offers options to scale up climate action globally in Durban, Rio and beyond

Studies show that the world’s aggregate level of effort on climate change mitigation is not in line with the science and existing country commitments are insufficient to adequately address climate change. A new paper published by the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), with the support of the Government of Ireland, entitled Building the Climate Change Regime: Survey and Analysis of Approaches, reviews more than 130 proposals put forward by governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and academics to design a climate regime capable of delivering adequate mitigation action.

The findings are crucial and timely because in less than a month countries will gather in Durban, South Africa, to try to reach agreement on an ambitious programme for tackling climate change. The report shows that there are far more options to counter climate change than acknowledged or promoted.

“The analysis provided in this new report offers many options that can happen either in the formal negotiations or as complementary measures elsewhere,” said Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UNEP. “Options that can assist the more than 190 United Nations member states move quickly to harvest the opportunities of a transition to a climate resilient, low carbon, resource efficient Green Economy,” he added.

Building the Climate Change Regime clearly shows that there is a path forward for climate negotiators and offers a menu of options to national governments to mitigate climate change, both within and outside the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The report, which suggests that there are a number of pathways toward the desired level of ambition, also highlights the need to mobilize a range of public and private sector actors at the international, national and sub-national levels, who can contribute to climate governance, emission reductions, and adaptation investment.

“We know that more needs to be done globally to reach our long-term climate objectives. The reality is that there is no shortage of options and these proposals show the wealth of pathways available,” said Manish Bapna, Interim President of WRI. “At the upcoming climate meeting in Durban, countries have the opportunity to turn these ideas into action and start to bridge the ambition gap needed to truly have an impact.”

“The publication of the paper is very timely. It presents real options for addressing difficult political issues that still remain to be resolved in the international negotiations, not least in relation to the legal form of a future international agreement, the timeframe for agreement, and the need to increase the level of ambition on mitigation action,” said Phil Hogan, Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Ireland.

The report breaks down proposals into five key issues that have been major points of debate:

Options under the UNFCCC to Increase Ambition: Within the UNFCCC, new approaches could involve reducing the emissions of additional greenhouse gases, including additional sectors, and strengthening accounting rules for emissions and emission reductions. Utilizing tools within the UNFCCC can be beneficial because they minimize duplication and implementation costs while facilitating trust-building. However, other complementary options should also be considered.
Options outside the UNFCCC to Increase Ambition: Beyond the UNFCCC process, approaches include multilateral, plurilateral, bilateral and domestic strategies. These approaches offer prospects to mobilize actors around shared interests like development, trade, human rights, energy or food security. While these new strategies can generate greater ambition, one disadvantage of following approaches outside the UNFCCC is a risk of undermining existing processes and creating inefficiencies.
Means for Sharing the Mitigation Effort Under the UNFCCC: Various proposals could be used to allocate responsibility to bridge the gap between the current level of effort and scientific recommendations. Possible approaches include dividing mitigation efforts based on countries’ capacity or based on countries’ contribution to the problem. Setting a global carbon budget would help ensure that the climate regime meets the adequacy standard, but it could be difficult to implement new allocations for emission obligations.
The Role of Various Actors in Tracking Country Performance on Mitigation: Harmonized global accounting, reporting and verification standards are fundamental to progress. Two options are to use tools within the UNFCCC or outside the UNFCCC. Both options are discussed in detail.
The Legal Form of a Future Climate Agreement: The issue of legally binding commitments is central to the debates ahead of Durban. The paper presents multiple options for climate negotiators: to proceed without new, legally-binding commitments; to commit to achieving new legally-binding commitments immediately; or to strengthen the components of legal character over time to achieve new, legally-binding commitments as soon as possible.

An illustrative finding in the report is that it is possible to build upon existing UNFCCC processes to strengthen the climate regime and raise the overall level of ambition. For example, a review under the UNFCCC of aggregate progress towards the 2 degree goal could facilitate an increase in the ambition of countries’ commitments. The UNFCCC can also provide a strengthened institutional framework, possibly binding in nature, to anchor, coordinate and review the commitments of countries.

“Many institutions and actors can play a part in the broader climate regime,” said Remi Moncel, Associate at WRI and one of the authors of the paper. “The proposals reviewed show that we can take an all-hands-on-deck approach where the UNFCCC and other actors work in tandem based on their respective strengths. We need to move the conversation from ‘we are not doing enough’ to ‘how can we do more collectively’, and these findings take us one step closer.”

Whilst a number of studies have demonstrated that the level of climate mitigation pledged to date is insufficient to limit temperature increases to 2 degrees C, this paper clearly demonstrates that there are a range of good ideas and options available that could help correct the course and move toward a safer and more stable climate.

The paper is being launched at events in Washington, DC, and Dublin featuring key experts from WRI, UNEP, the Government of Ireland, and partners. To read the full report, visit: http://www.wri.org/publication/building-the-climate-change-regime.

# # #

About the World Resources Institute
The World Resources Institute is a global environmental think tank that goes beyond research to put ideas into action. WRI works with governments, companies, and civil society to build solutions to urgent environmental challenges. www.wri.org

About UNEP
The United Nations Environment Programme, established in 1972, is the leading authority on the environment within the United Nations system. Its mission is to provide leadership and encourage partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing, and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations. To accomplish this, UNEP works with a wide range of partners, including United Nations entities, international organizations, national governments, non-governmental organizations, the private sector and civil society. www.unep.org

MEDIA ADVISORY: Building the Climate Change Regime

Lauren Zelin — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 13:59:19 -0400

Launch of New Paper Building the Climate Change Regime: Survey and Analysis of Approaches

A month from now, countries will gather in Durban, South Africa to try to reach agreement on an ambitious programme for tackling climate change. The world’s aggregate level of effort on climate change mitigation is not in line with the science. In a call to do more, the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), with the support of the Government of Ireland, are launching a paper that outlines various options put forward by governments, NGOs and academics for designing a climate regime capable of delivering adequate mitigation action.

The paper, entitled Building the Climate Change Regime: Survey and Analysis of Approaches, shows that a menu of options is available for scaling up action on the part of national governments and designing a climate regime capable of delivering adequate mitigation action. The paper underlines the central role of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and points to a constellation of actors - multilateral institutions, governments, businesses, states, cities and citizens - whose capacities and specialized focus can contribute to climate governance, emission reductions, and adaptation investment.

WHAT
Launch of “Building the Climate Change Regime: Survey and Analysis of Approaches”

WHEN
Monday, October 24, 2011
1:00 – 2:30 p.m. ET

WHO
• Amy Fraenkel, Director, UNEP Regional Office for North America
• Socorro Flores Liera, Director General for Global Issues, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mexico
• Noel Casserly, Climate Change Policy, Department of Environment, Community and Local Government, Government of Ireland
• Jennifer Morgan, Director, Climate and Energy Program, World Resources Institute
• Remi Moncel, Associate, Climate and Energy Program, World Resources Institute

The presentations will be followed by a Q&A session.

WHERE
World Resources Institute
10 G Street NE, Suite 800 (8th Floor)
Washington, D.C. 20002

MEDIA CALL-IN
Call-in Number: +1-712-580-8025 (U.S. and International) Participant Access Code: 1348825

The report will also be launched in Dublin, Ireland at 11:30 GMT

For more information, please contact:
Elisabeth Guilbaud-Cox, Head of Communications, UNEP Regional Office for North America, Tel: (202) 974-1307/ Mobile (202) 812-2100; email: elisabeth.guilbaud-cox@unep.org
Lauren Cole Zelin, Senior Media Officer, World Resources Institute, Tel: (202) 729-7736/Mobile: (301) 807-9527; e-mail: LZelin@wri.org

RELEASE: Climate Change Demands New Decision-Making Strategies by National Leaders

Michael Oko — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 20:24:25 -0400

WRI, UNDP, UNEP and World Bank release major report: Decision Making in a Changing Climate

In light of recent extreme weather events, as well as long-term disruptions related to climate change, a major new report calls for different approaches to decision making by national leaders. The report, entitled Decision Making in a Changing Climate, explores challenges and offers recommendations for national-level government officials to make informed and effective decisions to respond to the changing climate. The report, produced by the World Resources Institute, UNDP, UNEP, and the World Bank, is the latest edition of the influential World Resources Report.

“Climate change is a vast, complex, and urgent issue for national leaders. What’s clear beyond doubt is that the decisions leaders make today will have a profound effect on their countries’ ability to find real, lasting solutions to adapt to this global crisis,” said Manish Bapna, Interim President, the World Resources Institute. “This report provides decision makers with concepts and information they need – drawn from real world experiences – to make smart choices and ensure that decision making is effective and durable in the light of these challenges.”

The challenges of climate change are made clear by the array of recent extreme weather events from massive droughts in the Horn of Africa to record rainfall in the United States to wildfires in Brazil. According to the global insurance company, Munich Re, there were more than 950 natural disasters in 2010, 90 percent of which were weather related, costing a total of at least $130 billion.

“Climate change is not solely an environmental issue. It is an issue that needs to be taken into account in order to ensure that human development is sustainable over the long term” said Olav Kjorven, Director of the Bureau for Development Policy at UNDP. “Governments must start now to incorporate climate risks into plans and policies across all sectors, including urban development, coastal planning, agriculture, water and forestry management, and electricity production.”

Drawing on input from over 100 experts in over 35 countries, the report includes 12 case studies of innovative, real world responses to climate change, such as wildfire management in Brazil, information sharing on agriculture in Mali and glacial flood management in Nepal. These countries demonstrate how some are rising to the challenge of adapting to climate change.

Yet, adaptation efforts worldwide are still failing to meet the challenge.

“Under present trends, the livelihoods of millions of farmers in Africa, and other people around the world, could be lost due to shifting hydrological patterns, higher temperatures and more extreme weather events,” said Andrew Steer, World Bank Special Envoy for Climate Change. “This doesn’t need to happen. Good policies for climate resilience and low-carbon development can be put in place at reasonable cost. The good news is that many developing countries in Africa and elsewhere are taking action to do just that.”

The report identifies key challenges to decision making, including:

While the pace of climate change is accelerating, there is great uncertainty about how some impacts— such as changing precipitation patterns and sea level rise — will unfold around the world;
Climate change impacts will not play out on a level playing field; some people are more vulnerable than others; and
Climate change demands tough, but transformational changes, especially when faced with choices between short-term and long-term allocation of resources.

The report offers a suite of tools and recommendations for national-level policy makers. These include: tailoring adaptation efforts to address uneven vulnerability among populations, incorporating strategies to balance both short- and long-term policy objectives, and planning for uncertainty and a longer time horizon when making decisions. Important considerations include: early and ongoing public engagement, access to information, effective institutional design, allocation of resources, and appropriate policy tools.

“National, regional and local governments, businesses, and civil society are already making decisions to make the transition to a climate resilient, low-carbon future and build the green economies of the twenty-first century,” says Kaveh Zahedi, Coordinator of UNEP’s Climate Change Program. “This report shows that smart adaptation investments, such as those in climate resilient agriculture in China, mangrove restoration in Vietnam, and watershed management in Rwanda, deliver multiple benefits from food security to coastline protection to improved energy supply and ultimately help build the resilience of communities that are most vulnerable to climate change.”

Decision Making in a Changing Climate is the 13th edition of the World Resources Report, a series that has been published over a 25 year period.

The full report, including the executive summary, individual case studies, and expert papers can be found here.

Summary: Workshop on How to Measure, Report, and Verify Climate Finance

Kirsten Stasio — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 15:19:54 -0400

OpenClimateNetwork.org

Visit openclimatenetwork.org for the latest analysis, project info, expert perspectives, and more.

An informal summary of WRI’s June 2011 workshop on the measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV) of finance provisions in the Cancun Agreements.

On the sidelines of the international climate negotiations in Bonn, Germany in June 2011, the World Resources Institute hosted a workshop to facilitate a technical discussion on the MRV of finance provisions of the Cancun Agreements, with a particular focus on the reporting of climate finance. This workshop, which was co-chaired by Laurence Blandford from Environment Canada and Benito Jiménez from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mexico, consisted of an informal forum of experts from developed and developing country governments, international organizations – including the UNFCCC, the OECD, and the World Bank – and civil society.

The first session of the workshop focused on: the goal(s) of reporting climate finance under the Convention; how information and reporting practices of the OECD Development Assistance Committee can contribute to or complement these goal(s); and, what role civil society and private sector initiatives can play in helping the Convention fulfill these goal(s). The second session looked more specifically at how existing guidelines can be enhanced in order to fulfill the provisions of the Cancun Agreements. The third and final session of the workshop focused on the process for making an enhanced reporting system under the Convention operational, including implications for both new and existing institutions and entities under the Convention.

Discussions during the workshop yielded many ideas and proposals for moving forward on developing an enhanced system for reporting climate finance. It highlighted several areas of agreement among participants. It also highlighted several areas where more work needs to be done and more questions that need to be resolved by the COP and other relevant entities.

WRI has prepared an informal summary of the workshop’s presentations and discussions. It should not be taken to reflect the official positions of any government or institution present at the meeting.

Download the full summary (PDF, 343 Kb)

PRESS STATEMENT: Bonn Climate Talks Wrap Up: More Progress Needed

Michael Oko — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 15:02:16 -0400

As climate negotiations wrapped up in Bonn, Germany, following is a statement from Jennifer Morgan, Director, Climate and Energy, the World Resources Institute:

“After a difficult start for the Bonn climate negotiations, countries finally began discussing how to implement the Cancun Agreements decided last December. However, not enough progress was made, and it will be difficult, if talks proceed at this pace, to decide the Cancun rule book by Durban. Still hanging in the air are questions about the future of the Kyoto Protocol and whether the Cancun rules will be plugged into a legally binding agreement. Durban will be the key moment when the future of the Kyoto Protocol, the detailed rules of the Cancun Agreements, and the legal character of future climate agreements should be resolved.

“To resolve these core decisions, more substantive progress and more political will is needed that we witnessed these past two weeks. The warning signs of a changing climate are all around us – and the international community needs to come together to address this looming challenge.”

Read WRI’s pre-Bonn post, here.
Read WRI’s end of week #1 post, here.

Designing the International Climate Regime

Kevin Lustig — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 15:24:08 -0500

NGOs, think tanks, universities, and governments from developed and developing countries are generating innovative ideas for the design of an effective and equitable climate change regime. WRI experts are examining the status of the UNFCCC process and highlighting the best of these ideas for negotiators.

Resources

Working Paper: Building the Climate Change Regime
Working Paper Appendix III: Key Highlights from Proposals and Background Reading (PDF, 621 Kb)
Full Project Description (PDF, 158 Kb)
Presentation: Project Overview (Powerpoint, 5.2 Mb), Kelly Levin, WRI
Meeting Notes from Events at COP-16 (PDF, 158 Kb)
Presentation: Comparing Legal vs. Non-Legal Agreements (Powerpoint, 168 Kb), Daniel Bodansky, Arizona State University College of Law

For more resources on the UNFCCC, see our International Climate Policy page.

This project examines proposals that address a select list of key issues that are relevant to the design of an institutional architecture, that are pressing issues in the UNFCCC process, and that are expected to be the focus of important decisions at COP-17 and at the Earth Summit in 2012:

Increasing ambition: examining ways to bridge the gap between current mitigation pledges and the level of effort required by the science to avoid the most dangerous consequences of climate change.
Legal form: setting out the various legal options on the table for a post-2012 international mitigation framework.
Functions of an agreement: discussing the ways the UNFCCC and other international processes can best function together to advance global efforts to tackle climate change.

WRI experts analyzed over 130 proposals for the design of the future climate regime to distil approaches to strengthen international climate governance. The research project was undertaken in consultation with a broad range of climate experts, academics, and civil society colleagues. The completed working paper, Building the Climate Change Regime: A Survey and Analysis of Approaches, was released at dual launch events in Dublin and Washington, D.C. in time to present possible pathways to climate negotiators in advance of the seventeenth Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC in Durban, South Africa.

The paper will also be presented and discussed at a side event in Durban in the E.U. Pavilion (details forthcoming).

Photo credit: UN Climate Talks