NOVEMBER 29, 2010
(linked from: http://ylcjlcclimate.wordpress.com/2010/11/29/day-1-united-nations-climate-change-conference-16-in-mexico)
Today is the first day of the 16th meeting of the Conference of Parties COP16. The United Nations has come a long way since COP1 which was held in Berlin in 1995. A look back at that first conference of parties allows us to see what targets we have made and kept and what targets we have fell short of and could use improving.
In order to understand COP1 and the foreground for all future climate change meetings including this one in Mexico, we need to go back a few years prior. In 1992 the United Nations held its first "Climate Change Conference". It was actually called "United Nations Conference and on the Environment and Development" better known as the Earth Summit. There were four main functions of this conference and they were
Systematic scrutiny of patterns of production - particularly the production of toxic components, such as lead in gasoline or poisonous waste including radioactive chemicals
Alternative sources of energy to replace the use of fossil fuels which are linked to global climate change
Increase reliance on public transportation in order to reduce vehicle emissions, congestion in cities and the health problems caused by polluted air and smog
The growing scarcity of water
The conference did not produce any concrete targets or legally binding measures however it was a great start. It raised the issue of climate change and its potential ramifications down the road if ignored. The conference laid the groundwork for the COP1 and the Kyoto Protocol which came later in 1997.
COP 1 main discussion points were that it voiced concerns about the adequacy of countries' abilities to meet commitments under the Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) and the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI).
There were many conferences in-between to both further other climate change issues such as deforestation, green house gas inventories, alternative energy as viable options, as well as another host of different environment related topics. The last conference that IFLRY attended was in Copenhagen Denmark in 2009. The result of the conference was the creation of the "Copenhagen Accord".
The 2009 Copenhagen Accord deals with the following
Endorses the continuation of the Kyoto Protocol
Underlines that climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our time and emphasis's a "strong political will to urgently combat climate change in accordance with the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities"
To prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system, recognizes "the scientific view that the increase in global temperature should be below 2 degrees Celsius", in a context of sustainable development to combat climate change.
Recognizes "the critical impacts of climate change and the potential impacts of response measures on countries particularly vulnerable to its adverse effects" and stresses "the need to establish a comprehensive adaptation program including international support"
Recognizes that "deep cuts in global emissions are required according to science and agrees cooperation in peaking (stopping from rising) global and national greenhouse gas emissions "as soon as possible" and that "a low-emission development strategy is indispensable to sustainable development"
States that "enhanced action and international cooperation on adaptation is urgently required to reduce vulnerability and build resilience in developing countries, especially in those that are particularly vulnerable, especially least developed countries, small island developing states and Africa" and agrees that "developed countries shall provide adequate, predictable and sustainable financial resources, technology and capacity building to support the implementation of adaptation action in developing countries"
About mitigation agrees that developed countries (Annex I Parties) would "commit to economy-wide emissions targets for 2020″ to be submitted by 31 January 2010 and agrees that these Parties to the Kyoto Protocol would strengthen their existing targets. Delivery of reductions and finance by developed countries will be measured, reported and verified (MRV) in accordance with COP guidelines.
Agrees that developing nations (non-Annex I Parties) would "implement mitigation actions" to slow growth in their carbon emissions, submitting these by 31 January 2010. LDS and SIDS may undertake actions voluntarily and on the basis of (international) support.
Agrees that developing countries would report those actions once every two years via the U.N. climate change secretariat, subjected to their domestic MRV. NAMAs seeking international support will be subject to international MRV
Recognizes "the crucial role of reducing emission from deforestation and forest degradation and the need to enhance removals of greenhouse gas emission by forests", and the need to establish a mechanism (including REDD) to enable the mobilization of financial resources from developed countries to help achieve this
Decides pursue opportunities to use markets to enhance the cost-effectiveness of, and to promote mitigation actions.
Developing countries, specially these with low-emitting economies should be provided incentives to continue to develop on a low-emission pathway
States that "scaled up, new and additional, predictable and adequate funding as well as improved access shall be provided to developing countries... to enable and support enhanced action"
Agrees that developed countries would raise funds of $30 billion from 2010-2012 of new and additional resources
Agrees a "goal" for the world to raise $100 billion per year by 2020, from "a wide variety of sources", to help developing countries cut carbon emissions (mitigation). New multilateral funding for adaptation will be delivered, with a governance structure.
Establishes a Copenhagen Green Climate Fund, as an operating entity of the financial mechanism, "to support projects, program, policies and other activities in developing countries related to mitigation". To this end, creates a High Level Panel
Establishes a Technology Mechanism "to accelerate technology development and transfer...guided by a country-driven approach"
Calls for "an assessment of the implementation of this Accord to be completed by 2015... This would include consideration of strengthening the long-term goal", for example to limit temperature rises to 1.5 degrees
So we can see that from the first Earth Summit in Rio De Janeiro to COP1 and last years COP15 that tremendous progress, knowledge of climate change and how to solve it have come forth.
This leads us to COP 16 and what we plan to do here in Mexico. The purpose of COP16 is to discuss future commitments for industrialized countries under the Kyoto Protocol and to find an effective and sustainable implementation of the Convention through long-term cooperative action, now, up to and beyond 2010, in order to reach an agreed outcome and adopt a decision at its fifteenth session in Copenhagen.
The Kyoto Protocol ends in 2012 and we are working to have a completely global protocol to replace it by then which listens to each voice and takes into consideration each countries individual issue. It takes a lot of work to have every country agree upon an effective way to deal with climate change. We are however very close and if not this year then before 2012 I have tremendous hope that we will be able to have every country sign to the most proactive and environmentally friendly international agreement ever seen which would put us on the right track towards a more environmentally friendly future.
Ryan Sullivan
IFLRY and YLC Climate Change Conference Delegate 2009,2010