UNFCCC 101Sierra Student Coalition International Committee

Find us at www.ssc.org or @sierrastudent

Document Use and Instructions

This document was created by the Sierra Student Coalition’s International Committee in preparation for the COP20 negotiations in Lima, Peru in December of 2014

This presentation is solely intended for educational purposes to further the general public’s basic understanding of critical international climate policy events and issues

The information in this document may be periodically updated to reflect current events and new decisions by the UNFCCC

Climate Change: Defining the problem

The impacts are already being felt globally: Agricultural yields are expected to drop in most

tropical and sub-tropical regions  Diseases, especially those carried by vectors like

mosquitoes, could spread to new areas in the world Millions of people are expected to be exposed to

increasing water stress  More intense weather-related disasters  Rising sea levels Extinctions are expected for large numbers of plant

and animal species

Typhoon Hayen Aftermath. Photo from The Guardian

Climate change is real and humans are the main cause: The concentration of greenhouse gases in the earth’s atmosphere is directly linked to the

average global temperature on Earth;  The concentration has been rising steadily, and mean global temperatures along with it, since

the time of the Industrial Revolution; and The most abundant greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide, is the product of burning fossil fuels 

Why was the UNFCCC created?

Scientists recognized that there was a problem

UNFCCC provides place for world leaders to gather to find shared solutions to shared problem

Put the onus on developed countries to lead the way

Direct funds to climate change mitigation and adaptation activities

Keep tabs on global emissions and climate impacts and what's being done about it

Chart the formal consideration of adaptation to climate change

Mission: “Preventing “dangerous” human interference with the climate system is the ultimate aim of the

UNFCCC”

Timeline of Significant Events

1992: Rio Earth Summit adopts UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, UN Convention to Combat Desertification, and UN Convention on Biological Diversity

1997: COP3 adopts the Kyoto Protocol, the world’s first greenhouse gas emissions reduction treaty

The United States fails to ratify the Kyoto Protocol 2005: Kyoto Protocol enters into force

First Meeting of the Parties (CMP1) occurs with COP11

2007: COP13 adopts the Bali Road Map, which lays out focuses on mitigation, adaptation, technology and financing

2009: COP15 failed to reach post-Kyoto

commitment. Copenhagen Accord adopted to limit the global temperature rise to 2°C

2010: COP16 establishes Green Climate Fund, the Technology Mechanism and the Cancun Adaptation Framework

2011: COP17 launches Ad Hoc Working Group on the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action (ADP)

2013: COP19 in Warsaw establishes REDD+ and loss and damage mechanism

2014: COP20 unveils new negotiating text in anticipation of 2015

400K attend People’s Climate March in New York City

2015: COP21 in Paris is deadline for new post-Kyoto climate treaty

UNFCCC Governance Structure

Conference of Parties (COP)WHAT IS COP? COP stands for Conference of Parties Supreme decision making body of the

UNFCCC

WHO IS A PARTY? All States that are Parties to the

Convention

WHAT HAPPENS AT COP? Review the implementation of the

Convention and any other legal instruments that the COP adopts

Promote the effective implementation of the Convention, including institutional and administrative agreements

Review national emission inventories submitted by Parties

Negotiate terms of new mechanisms,

legal instruments, and treatiesWHEN AND WHERE DOES COP HAPPEN? COP has met every year since 1995 Host country shifts between regions

each year

Party ClassificationAnnex I Industrialized countries that were members of the Organisation for Economic Co-

operation and Development (OECD) in 1992 Countries with economies in transition (Russia, the Baltic States, some Central and

Eastern European States)

Annex II Parties consist of the OECD members of Annex I, but not the EIT Parties. Responsible for contributing to finance mechanisms, emission reduction activities, and

technology transfers to EIT Parties and developing countries

Non-Annex I Parties are mostly developing countries and those especially vulnerable to the adverse

impacts of climate change Parties are the recipients of investment, insurance and technology transfer from Annex II

countries Parties may volunteer to become Annex I countries when they are sufficiently developed

Least Developed Countries (LDCs) 49 Parties given special consideration on account of their limited capacity to respond to

climate change Parties are least responsible for anthropogenic climate change and least able to adapt to

its adverse effects

Negotiating BlocsBased on the tradition of the UN, Parties are organized into five regional

groups: African States, Asian States, Eastern European States, Latin American and the Caribbean States, and Western European and Other States

Non-regional negotiating blocs also exist based on shared interests: Group of 77 and China (G-77 and China) Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) Least Developed Countries (LDC) European Union (EU) The Umbrella Group Environmental Integrity Group (EIG) Other groups in the climate change process include the Organization of

Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Central Asia, Caucasus, Albania and Moldova (CACAM), the League of Arab States and the Agence intergouvernementale de la francophonie.

Observer Groups and Civil SocietyObserver groups are Intergovernmental and

Non-governmental Organizations that are allowed to observe and indirectly influence the UNFCCC proceedings

The UNFCCC recognizes 1,598 NGOs known collectively as Civil Society

Civil Society self-organizes based on shared special interests

i.e. women and gender, youth, business, environmental

Civil Society groups do not have authority to negotiate, but can provide recommendations to Parties

Constituencies may deliver high-level interventions during plenaries

Any intervention must move through Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI)

Current “big deal” mechanisms

Green Climate Fund: Developed countries agreed to provide biennial reports to ramp up finance Developing countries pushed for $70 billion by 2016,

which developed countries refused Loss and Damage: A financial mechanism was

tabled until COP22 REDD+: Adoption of guidelines so countries can use

“reference levels” to determine qualifications for increased funding

Technology Mechanism: Adopted to help facilitate technology transfers

Post-Warsaw Attitudes

Flexibility from U.S. and EU

Rifts among G77/China Low ambition Rare consensus among

observers during walkout

People’s Climate March

September 21, 2014 in New York City

Largest and most inclusive climate march in history

400k people and more than 50k youth

Pressured world leaders at UN Climate Summit to build ambition for mitigation and adaptation actions

Important for ramp-up to COP20 and Paris

The world’s next climate treaty Kyoto Protocol has expired and new commitment to mitigation

needed

New protocol needs to get Parties to commit to legally-binding emissions reductions to keep the global average temperature from rising more than 2 degrees Celsius (3.6F)

Post-2020 Action (ADP Workstream 1) Draft negotiating text no later than 2015 to be adopted in Paris and for it to

come into effect in 2020 Countries must pledge INDCs in 2015

Pre-2020 Action (ADP Workstream 2) Mitigation efforts in the absence of a legally-binding agreement. Some examples of possible recommended actions as a result Workstream 2

include: Reduction of GHG in international transport Reduction of production and use of HFCs Enhancing energy efficiency Promoting renewable energy Encouraging further work on international sustainability standards and eco-labelling

Lima, looking ahead to Paris

The ultimate purpose of COP20 is to produce a treaty to be signed in Paris at COP21 in 2015

Key themes at COP20: Equity Green Climate Fund pledges Intended Nationally Determined Contributions

(INDC) Workable legal framework

Equitable Solutions U.S. Youth Power

Strong Emissions Target

The SSC COP20 delegation will

leverage the power of youth successes and stories in the U.S. to influence negotiators

to commit to equitable solutions

and ambitious emissions targets in

2015

Our strategy while in Lima

• Advocate preventing an increase in global temperatures more than 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit above pre-industrial levels

• Advocate for U.S. carbon emissions to drop at least 50% below 2005 emissions levels by 2030

• Adopt ambitious 2030 clean energy outcomes, including 100% carbon free in the power sector and 50% oil savings in the transportation sector

• Campus Divestment Movement• Campuses Beyond Coal • 50k youth at People’s Climate

March• 1992 Action

• Maintain principle of Common But Differentiated Responsibilities

• U.S. must pledge to Green Climate Fund in addition to mitigation

• Ensure our work to achieve 2030 clean energy outcomes emphasizes fairness and justice

Appendix

Other Workstreams: Adaptation Loss and Damage Nairobi Work Program

Helps developing nations understand and assess vulnerability and adaptation and make informed decisions.

Expected Outcomes: Essentially, understanding among parties about global warming and cooperation to address it.

National Adaptation Plans Objective: To reduce vulnerability to the impacts of climate change by

building adaptive capacity and resilience Funding will be available through the Global Environment Facility

(GEF), Least Developed Countries Fund, and Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF).

National Adaptation Programmes of Action “NAPAs provide a process for the Least Developed Countries to identify

priority activities that respond to their urgent and immediate needs with regard to adaptation to climate change - those needs for which further delay could increase vulnerability or lead to increased costs at a later stage.”

Other Workstreams: Adaptation Adaptation Committee

Promotes enhanced action on adaptation in a coherent manner under the Convention, inter Alia, through:

Providing technical support and guidance to the Parties Sharing of relevant info. Promoting synergy and strengthening engagement with national,

regional, and international orgs. Providing info and recommendations, drawing on adaptation good

practices, for consideration by the COP when providing guidance on means to incentivize the implementation of adaptation actions, (e.g. finance, technology and capacity-building)

Considering info communicated by Parties on their monitoring and review of adaptation actions, support provided and received.

LDC Expert Group The LEG was established by the COP in 2001.The LEG is requested by

the COP to provide technical support and advice to the least developed countries (LDCs) on the national adaptation programmes of action (NAPAs) and the LDC work programme, and to provide technical guidance and support to the national adaptation plan (NAP) process.

Loss and Damage Executive Committee (See “Loss and Damage”)

Other Workstreams: Loss and Damage The Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage is and

attempt to… Clearly define “loss and damage” under the Convention Prepare a comprehensive loss and damage model for risks

associated with climate change (especially in vulnerable areas).

Contribute to new ways of viewing the climate challenge Mobilize resources and capacity to help mobilize vulnerable

countries/areas. The Loss and Damage Workstream was considered as part of the

Cancun Adaptation Framework (COP 16), and established at COP 19 (in Warsaw).

Loss and Damage is separated into two types: Extreme events: (tough to find a definition, presumably its

supposed to be self explanatory). Slow Onset Events: sea level rise, increasing temperatures,

ocean acidification, glacial retreat (and related impacts), salinization, land and forest degradation, loss of biodiversity, and desertification.

Other Workstreams: Loss and DamageThe SBI includes three “Thematic Areas”:

Assessing the risk of loss and damage associated with adverse effects of climate currently known

A range of approaches to address loss and damage associated with the adverse effects of climate change, including impacts related to extreme weather and slow onset events, taking into consideration experiences at all levels

Which in turn includes four meetings of regional experts (Africa, Latin America, Asia and Eastern Europe, and Small Island Developing States)

The role of the Convention in enhancing implementation of approaches to address loss and damage associated with the adverse effects of climate change

Other Workstreams: REDD+ Collaborative initiative on reducing emissions from deforestation and

forest degradation in developing countries (since 2008) Deforestation and forest degradation are the second leading cause of

global warming, responsible for nearly 20% of global greenhouse gas emissions

Address environmental degradation and encourage enhancement of forest carbon stocks by assigning an economic value to forests; allocates carbon offsets; provides funding for REDD projects

Part of the UN’s REDD initative; other multilateral initiatives include the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) and Forest Investment Program (FIP) hosted by The World Bank

To date, donor contributions total US$215.2 million, 91% of which is already allocated

Issues/controversy: Implementing Measuring and Monitoring Systems compliant with the

Measuring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) to prove how much carbon is stored in forests

Working WITH indigenous peoples Privitizing forests which allow wealthy companies to buy carbon offsets

instead of reducing carbon emissions

Other Workstreams: Climate Finance

Standing Committee on Finance: This Committee was established at COP16 to assist the COP in exercising its functions in relation to the financial mechanism of the Convention. This involves improving coherence and coordination in the delivery of climate change financing, rationalization of the financial mechanism, mobilization of financial resources and measurement, reporting and verification of support provided to developing country Parties.

Global Environment Facility: Since 1991, the GEF has provided $12.5 billion in grants and leveraged $58 billion in co-financing for 3,690 projects in 165 developing countries. For 23 years, developed and developing countries alike have provided these funds to support activities related to biodiversity, climate change, international waters, land degradation, and chemicals and waste in the context of development projects and programs.

Adaptation Fund: The Adaptation Fund was established to finance concrete adaptation projects and programmes in developing country Parties that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change. The Adaptation Fund is financed by a 2 per cent share of the proceeds from certified emission reductions issued by the Executive Board of the Clean Development Mechanism and from other sources of funding.

Other Workstreams: Climate Finance

Green Climate Fund: Intended to be the main fund for global climate change finance in the context of mobilizing USD 100 billion by 2020. The GCF was established by COP16

Least Developed Countries Fund: The Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF) was established to support a work programme to assist Least Developed Country Parties (LDCs) carry out, inter alia, the preparation and implementation of national adaptation programmes of action (NAPAs)

Special Climate Change Fund: The Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF) was established under the Convention in 2001 to finance projects relating to: adaptation; technology transfer and capacity building; energy, transport, industry, agriculture, forestry and waste management; and economic diversification. This fund should complement other funding mechanisms for the implementation of the Convention