15 Dec 2009

COP 15 Daily Summary

As talks are progressing towards the final decision making, the ministers are joining the negotiations and the arrival of heads of states is being anticipated, the talks themselves seem to be falling more and more into disarray. Working groups meetings are being delayed (an AWG-KP meeting for example, scheduled for 4:30pm took place only at 10pm) and discussions both in open and in closed sessions seem to be going nowhere as negotiators simply reiterate their positions over and over. Plenary sessions have not taken place, as these await the results of Working Groups meetings and informal consultations which will then feed into the main tracks.

The High-Level segment welcoming ceremony took place more or less as scheduled, and discussions will now gradually move over to the political level, where issues that have so far been left undecided by the negotiators might finally be decided on.

In the meantime, the atmosphere was also somewhat stressful outside the Bella Centre as well, where civil society members as well as parties’ delegates – including our own analysts – queued for hours to receive their tags, and access to the centre is being restricted.

ADAPTATION

With majority of environmental and energy ministers already in Copenhagen and the heads of the states joining the COP15 in the following days, the pressure to reach an agreement rises and so do the pledges to financial commitments for adaptation.

Mexico and Norway announced yesterday their proposal for a Green Fund. Today Japan increased its pledge for a short-term financial commitment. Japan said it will commit to USD10 billion over three years up to 2012 for developing countries. This is a USD200 million increase, as Japan previously committed to USD9.2 billion for the same time period.

Most of the negotiations at the COP15 have focused on the financial assistance for adaptation, therefore WWF’s presentation on adaptation measures was much awaited. At its press conference the WWF presented the adaptation measures that should be included in the new climate agreement. This proposal is the end result of WWF study on adaptation measures already taken in developing countries that had proved to be both successful and low costing. Examples of these are maintaining natural dunes, wetlands and costal mangrove forest against floods and storm waters, selecting agricultural areas that have been historically resistant to climate change, reconnecting lakes with river streams to prevent flooding, restoring wetlands to recreate fish habitats, rainwater capture and storage, and fire prevention training. With regard to funding, the WWF noted that adaptation requires secure, transparent and accountable new financial resources. Relocating development aid funds into adaptation funds is not the answer. Attention must be given to long-term funding too.

REDD+

After additions by the US and Colombia inflated the 3-page draft REDD text to 7 pages, it was later reduced back to four, and now contains language on early action to fast-track financing and enhanced protection of the rights of indigenous and local communities. This addition came out of long negotiations reported by the Tropical Forest Group. In many ways, in a day of halting negotiations these actions towards saving tropical forests is a “beacon in an otherwise dark night,” according to Cara Peace, Tropical Forest Group’s Assistant Director for Policy. Side events today focused on creation of viable solutions that involve private sector investment and input within the REDD+ institutional set-up. There continues to be discussion about how to safeguard against false solutions that are non-additional and allow for leakage.

JI/CDM

Delegates have been proposing adding carbon capture and storage projects to the clean development mechanism criteria. In a draft paper released at the conference, the UN said that “in order for carbon dioxide capture and storage in geological formations to be included under the clean development mechanism, long-term liability for the storage site, including liability for any seepage during and beyond the crediting period of the project, must be clearly assigned and the project boundary must be clearly defined”.

DEVELOPED COUNTRIES

Leaked cabinet documents revealed that not only is Canada not planning a massive reductions in emissions – as a Yes Men hoax claimed early in the day – but the cap and trade system that is being discussed is so weak, that it does not appear that the government has any serious intentions of meeting their already-weak 2020 goals.

TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER

An event introducing the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) was held this evening. The newly-formed global renewable energy organisation, based in Abu Dhabi, will provide advice and support to developed and developing countries as they seek to increase their share of renewable generation. The International Energy Agency (IEA) was also present at the event, as were Greenpeace: both organisations presented their views of how renewable energy could contribute to the decarbonisation of the electricity sector by 2050.