Bangkok Climate Change Talks

AWG-LCA 1 and AWG-KP 5

The Bangkok climate change talks, taking place March 31 – April 4, will be primarily focused around the meetings of two “Ad Hoc Working Groups” (AWGs) – one on Long Term Cooperation  under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (AWGLCA)  and the other under the Kyoto Protocol (AWGKP).  The AWGLCA will be negotiating the work program for the next two years to implement the Bali Action Plan, agreed to in December 2007.  The AWG on Further commitments of Annex I Parties under the Kyoto Protocol (AWGKP) will be discussing means for Kyoto parties to reach their mitigation targets under the Protocol and methodological issues pertaining to the Protocol (including discussion of additional greenhouse gases and sources to be included).  Both Ad Hoc working groups aim to complete negotiations in time to be incorporated in a global climate regime for the period post 2012 to be agreed in Copenhagen in December 2009.

Members of the Climate Action Network (CAN) will be engaged in these negotiations as observers to and participants in the UN process.  CAN is a coalition of more than 400 environmental and development non-governmental organizations in 85 countries worldwide, committed to limiting human-induced climate change to ecologically sustainable levels.

 AWG on Long-term Cooperative Action

The Chair will facilitate discussion on:
•    “How” and “when” issues will be addressed; and
•    What arrangements will be needed to facilitate the work.
•    Identifying issues that need to be clarified and new information needed.
•    Specific in-session and intersessional activities.

Essential items to be addressed:
•    A shared vision for long-term action’
•    Enhanced national/international action on mitigation of climate change;
•    Enhanced action on adaptaton;
•    Enhanced action on technology development and transfer;
•    Enhanced action on the provision of financial resources and investment.

Expected output:  Work program to be adopted by the end of Bangkok session.

What does CAN want at the AWG-LCA?

Specific input on each of the aspects of the work program:
Shared Vision:  Must stay as far as possible below 2˚C of warming over pre-industrial levels.  Recent information from the IPCC tells us that to have a good chance of staying below 2˚C we global emissions must peak within the next decade and decline rapidly thereafter.  In the near term, emissions levels by developed countries need be reduced to at least the top end of 25-40% below 1990 levels by 2020 in order to be within the range identified by the IPCC to preserve our ability to stay below 2˚C.  To this end, Parties need to develop a work program, hold a series of informal workshops in 2008, take stock in Poznan, invite the IPCC to present its AR4 findings, and substantial work towards quantification of a long-term goal

Mitigation:  CAN is looking to countries to further flesh out what they can do to meet urgent need for mitigation. There must be a firewall between the developed and developing country mitigation working groups.  All developed countries should submit analysis of their mitigation potentials by early September.  Further, work will need to be done to define what ‘measurable, reportable and verifiable’ means for developed countries (as referenced in the Bali Action Plan), for developing countries, and for developed countries’ financial and technological support for these actions and to avoid duplication of efforts, work on REDD being undertaken under existing agenda items under the UNFCCC or Kyoto Protocol should feed into negotiations under the Bali Action Plan.

Adaptation: Impacts of climate change are already being experienced by vulnerable communities around the planet. As agreed in Bali, there needs to be ‘urgent implementation of adaptation actions’ and priority must be given to those at most risk. Work is needed on the ways in which cooperation can be best effected information gathered as necessary.  Work must begin immediately to assess vulnerabilities, determine how to address them and analyze the scale of funding needed. 

Technology: A key element of the post-2012 package will be massively scaled up technology transfer, enabled and supported through the establishment of effective mechanisms and new and additional funding under the UNFCCC and Kyoto Protocol. Work will need to be done to identify factors that make mechanisms successful conduits for technology deployment and how existing barriers can be removed.  Under the UNFCCC, developed countries already have commitments to promote and finance the transfer of environmentally sound technologies, and these countries have failed to live up to these commitments.  Transfer and deployment of sustainable technologies is an essential part of an ambitious agenda both for the decarbonization of developing country economies, and their effective adaptation to the ravages of climate impacts. 

Financing: Negotiations will need to begin urgently on the issue of finance. Ensuring improved access to adequate, predictable and sustainable financial resources for developing countries is essential to both avoid dangerous climate change and to ensure their sustainable development. Work will need to be initiated as quickly as possible in building capacity to assess the scale of adaptation and technology needs of developing countries and to ensure that the financial flows discussed are adequate to meet the needs: this discussion will need to be closely coordinated with the adaptation and technology building blocks.

AWG on Further commitments of Annex I Parties under the Kyoto Protocol

In-session thematic workshop on means to reach reduction targets
Discussion will include:
•    Emissions trading and project-based mechanisms under the KP
•    Rules to guide treatment of LULUCF
•    Greenhouse gases, sectors and source categories to be covered
•    Possible approaches targeting sectoral emissions

Expected Output (summary report):
•    Listing of possible issues to be addressed for each of the means
•    Compilation of options for addressing identified issues
•    Any new means identified

What does CAN want at the AWG-KP?

Domestic Action:  Domestic action needs to be the first and most important aspect of mitigation efforts in developed countries.  Energy efficiency has very large potential to achieve massive reductions, and increasing the use of renewable sources of energy is also vital.  Nuclear power, however, is not seen as an acceptable means to achieve mitigation objectives.

Kyoto Mechanisms:  There need to be major substantive changes to improve the flexible mechanisms for the post-2012 period; while some flexible mechanisms have had some benefits, there have been some significant problems as well.  The AWGKP should take into account the recommendations of the Article 9 review in scoping mitigation potentials of Annex I countries.  Social and environmental criteria, beyond GHG impacts, must be an integral aspect of the review of the flexible mechanisms. 

CDM:  The CDM must move beyond offsetting and deliver real benefits for sustainable development with strong social and environmental criteria.

Joint Implementation:  Like the CDM, a fundamental flaw of this program is the inability to prove aditionality of projects.  Therefore, joint implementation should be replaced by domestic cap and trade systems in all industrialized countries.

Cap-and-trade Emissions Trading:  Cap and trade has the potential to guarantee environmental effectiveness and also be economically efficient, as long as it excludes external credits from uncapped sources.  However, emissions trading is not a one-size-fits-all instrument and is only one part of the policy mix.

Use of Kyoto Mechanisms to leverage funds:  Kyoto mechanisms must not only achieve mitigation goals, but also contribute towards funding of adaptation, technology transfer, and tropical deforestation reduction measures.  Sufficient financing can be generated by exploring the adoption of a levy on the flexible mechanisms (CDM, JI and emissions trading) and auctioning of permits.  Ending fossil fuel subsidies and redirecting them to fund clean technologies is one starting point as well.

Land Use, Land-Use Change, and Forestry:  LULUCF is an important aspect of addressing emissions, and additional activities should be included under the Protocol to encourage sustainable forestry and land-use practices as well as to limit emissions.  A review should be made of LULUCF policies to consider the scope of the present system and needed improvements to reporting, accounting, monitoring, and verification of LULUCF activities.  The review should include approaches to focus accounting on emissions and removals resulting from direct activities, promotion of sustainable development, and discussion of harvested wood products in the accounting system.

Greenhouse Gases, Sources and Sectors
Inclusion of new sectors, sources, and greenhouse gases in the post-2012 agreement will necessitate additional deeper emissions reduction targets.  Key sectors that are explicitly missing from Annex A are international aviation and maritime emissions.  Both sectors are fast-growing and significant sources of emissions and should be addressed in the Kyoto Protocol.

Sectoral Approaches:  Sectoral approaches must not in any way undermine the binding national, economy-wide absolute emissions caps for developed countries in the second commitment period.  Global sectoral agreements may be appropriate for certain internationally competitive industrial sectors to help address competitiveness concerns and to help avoid leakage. In countries not yet suitable for national caps, sectoral approaches are a welcome evolution of approach.  There is a need, generally, for specificity in the discussion of “sectoral approaches” and careful analysis of their implications.