Cancun - UNFCCC COP16 Summit - 2010
The UNFCCC COP16 conference took place in Cancun, Mexico on 29 November - 10 December 2010. The talks marked a turning point in the global negotiations to agree a global deal to tackle dangerous climate change.
Key outcomes from the agreements at the Summit were:
- Objective: agreed to peak emissions and an overall 2 degree target to limit temperature rise
- Emissions: bringing details of what developed and developing countries are doing to tackle climate change, promised in Copenhagen, into the UN system so they can be assessed
- MRV: agreed a system so we know how countries are living up to their promises to take action on emissions
- Long-term finance: established the Green Climate Fund and will start to get it ready to help developing countries go low carbon and adapt to climate impacts
- Deforestation: agreed to slow, halt and reverse destruction of trees and agree the rules for delivering it and for monitoring progress
- Technology / Adaptation: set up the mechanisms to help developing countries access low carbon technology, and adapt to climate change.
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Copenhagen - UNFCCC COP15 Summit - 2009
The UNFCCC Conference of the Parties (COP15) climate negotiations took place in Copenhagen, December 7-19 2009, and concluded with the Copenhagen Accord, which for the first time ever endorsed two degrees warming limit as the benchmark for global progress on climate change.
The Accord additionally included:
- Agreement that all countries need to take action on climate change; and the provision of immediate and longer term financial help to those countries most at risk of climate change
- Lists of what each country is doing to tackle climate change – including economy-wide commitments to cut emissions by developed countries and actions by developing countries
- The introduction of real scrutiny and transparency to ensure emission targets are put into effect, with mandatory reporting every two years for developing countries
- Provision of $30 billion of immediate short term funding from developed countries over the following three years to kick start emission reduction measures and help the poorest countries adapt to the impacts of climate change
- Commitment by developed countries to work to provide long term financing of $100 billion a year by 2020.
Since Copenhagen, over 100 countries have associated with the Accord and more than 70 countries, accounting for over 80% of global emissions have submitted emissions reduction targets and actions for inclusion in the Accord annexes. These figures should allow for global peaking of emissions by 2020, and would keep us in reach of the 2°C goal.
The Kyoto Protocol - 2007
Negotiations on what became the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change were launched in December 1990 by the UN General Assembly. The Convention was opened for signature at the UN Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (the 'Earth Summit'). The ultimate objective of the Convention is to stabilise greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that will prevent dangerous climate change. The Convention entered into force on 21 March 1994.
Early on in the Convention, a process was established that would enable the parties to agree on and take appropriate action to tackle climate change after 2000, including a strengthening of developed country emissions-eduction commitments. This process led ultimately to the Kyoto Protocol in 1997 at COP3. The Kyoto Protocol is the first international treaty to set legally binding emissions-reduction targets for developed countries that have ratified it.
Under the Kyoto Protocol most industrialised nations and some central European economies in transition agreed to legally binding emissions-reductions targets (known as Annex I countries), which would collectively result in greenhouse gas emissions reductions of 5.2% below 1990 levels between the years 2008 and 2012 (the 'commitment period').
The Kyoto Mechanisms
Under the Kyoto Protocol, in addition to domestic action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs), Annex I countries can use the following three Kyoto Mechanisms to assist in reaching their targets:
- Clean Development Mechanism (CDM)
- Joint Implementation (JI)
- International Emissions Trading
The principle behind the Kyoto Mechanisms is that the impact of GHG emissions reductions are equally effective regardless of the country in which they are achieved. In meeting its national target, a country may find it more cost effective to undertake projects and achieve some of its emissions reductions in other countries where the costs of emissions abatement is lower. The main advantages for host countries is the attraction of foreign investment, transfer of technology and sustainable development. The credits generated from CDM and JI projects can be used to meet emissions reduction targets in Annex I countries.
In countries without a Kyoto target (in other words, developing countries), projects operate under the Clean Development Mechanism.
In countries with a target (known as developed countries), projects operate under the Joint Implementation mechanism.
Clean Development Mechanism
The CDM is one of the so-called ‘flexible mechanisms’ under the Kyoto Protocol. It allows companies to undertake projects, in countries without a Kyoto target, which are designed to reduce GHG emissions and contribute to sustainable development. Such projects are then credited with ‘Certified Emissions Reductions’ (CERs), which:
Joint Implementation
JI allows companies to undertake projects in countries with a Kyoto target, to reduce GHG emissions. Such projects are then credited with ‘Emissions Reduction Units’ (ERUs), which:
- governments can use to meet their Kyoto targets
- companies can use to meet their allocations under the EU Emissions Trading Scheme
There are two different procedures for JI depending on the host country’s eligibility requirements. These are commonly referred to as ‘Track 1’ and ‘Track 2’. Track 1 is subject to supervision by the host country. Track 2 is subject to international supervision by the Supervisory Committee for JI.
The UK Designated National Authority (DNA) and the Designated Focal Point (DFP)
The Environment Agency acts as the UK Designated National Authority for the CDM and issues letters of approval for voluntary participation in the mechanism. Further details about the approval process can be found on the Environment Agency website.