Moving forward from Copenhagen: avenues for

cooperation and action

Yvo de Boer

Executive SecretaryUNFCCC

The UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen 2009

While disappointing to many, the conference was important because:

• It raised climate change policy to where it belongs: the highest political level;

• It advanced critical technical issues in the Bali Road Map negotiations

• It produced the Copenhagen Accord (not legally binding):

• A letter of political intent; 109 countries have associated

• 2°C

• short-term and long-term finance

• a review by 2015

• targets; actions

What is not in the Copenhagen Accord

• US targets for 2030 and 2050

• EU objective to reduce emissions by 80 -95% by 2050

• Mexico’s intention to halve emissions by 2050 compared to 2002

• China’s desire to change the direction of growth

• Seizing the opportunity in the energy sector – IEA: halving emissions possible by 2050, but requires energy revolution

• Targets for 2020 are modest; fundamental change is needed to achieve 2050 targets

• Investments to 2020 vs. investments to 2050

Copenhagen: unresolved issues

1. Issues which came close to being concluded in the AWG-LCA and AWG KP

2. Unresolved issues on which the Copenhagen Accord may provide points of convergence, e.g.:

• How to translate the long-term goal of 2C into emissions reductions

• MRV

3. Remaining issues on which little progress was made

• First negotiating session: 9 – 11 April 2010

Priorities during 2010

• Rebuild confidence and trust

• Progress is needed on finance:

• the 30 billion USD for adaptation and mitigation in developing countries need to flow - EU

• Clarity on what “legally binding” could entail

• Procedure to use points of convergence in the Accord to conclude the Bali Road Map negotiations

Different interests and concerns in the negotiations

• Developed countries: fear the price tag of action, loss of competitiveness and carbon leakage

• Developing countries: fear targets imposed through the backdoor

• Small Island developing countries: fear that too little ambition will lead to their demise

• Oil producing countries: fear the adverse effects of response measures

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• ALBA countries: fear that a solution based on capitalist principles will not translate into a solution

The view of developing countries

Developing countries are hesitant to engage because:

• Targets have not been met by industrialised countries – developing countries not ready to abandon the Kyoto Protocol

• Finance has not been provided

• They fear that climate change action will constrain their economic growth

• There is a lingering suspicion towards the industrialised world

• The benefits of engagement are not clearly perceived

The UN Climate Change Conference in Mexico 2010

• Objectives for Mexico should be realistic; the needs of developing countries need to be addressed

1. Fully operational architecture that makes it possible for developing countries to act on climate change

• Adaptation, mitigation, REDD, technology, capacity-building

• Clarity on how to generate, administer the 100 billion USD

• Avenues for cooperation to make it work

The UN Climate Change Conference in Mexico 2010

2. Clear leadership by industrialised countries – rich countries have not managed to reduce emissions per capita, so should not expect developing countries to do so

3. Clarity on the Kyoto Protocol - developing countries

• Progress could lead to consensus to turn the outcome into a legal treaty in the future.

Climate Change policy in a broader context

• An opportunity for advancing sustainable economic development objectives:

• Convergence of climate change and energy security agendas

• Economic costs of impacts

• Green growth

• Climate resilience

Avenues for cooperation through the climate change regime with adequate finance

Mitigation, e.g.:

• NAMAs;

•Technology mechanism to boost technology transfer;

• Capacity-building;

• REDD;

Adaptation, e.g.:

• Adaptation framework to support work at regional and national levels;

• Mechanisms to manage loss and damage, including insurance;

Avenues for cooperation: private sector involvement

• The private sector will be key in implementation

Directly through the climate change regime:

• Existing market mechanisms; new mechanisms

• Possibility of generating new funding

Outside the regime, but with benefits for the climate:

• Business increasingly driven by sustainability issues which: • are increasingly greening growth, e.g. energy efficiency standards• boost cooperation on green innovation

Avenues for cooperation: the development community #1

The development community needs to assist developing countries, especially LDCs, African countries and Small Island Developing States:

• assist to respond to the most pressing adaptation needs

• identify critical technology gaps for adaptation

• assist in implementing long-term adaptation in the context of overall development strategies

Avenues for cooperation: the development community #2

• Assist in mitigation planning:

• identify options to leap-frog emissions-intensive growth • identify investment needs and technology gaps for mitigation• assist in implementing mitigation actions

Thank you