UNFCCC and Kyoto Protocol:
key issues
12 July 2010
Szentendre, Hungary
Maria Khovanskaya
Climate Change Topic Area
REC
Outline
1. General overview: current issues
2. UN Framework Convention on Climate Change:
1. Annexes of the Convention;
2. Subsidiary Bodies of the Convention
3. Kyoto Protocol
1.
2.
3.
4.
Annexes to the Protocol;
Subsidiary Bodies
GHG accounting and monitoring for Parties from different Annexes
Flexible mechanisms under the Kyoto Protocol
4. Regional groups
5. Lobbying country groups in the climate negotiation process
6. More exciting topics on future – te other preseners today and
omorrow
A bit of history…
1988 – International Panel on Climate Change established
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
(Signed 1992, entered into force 1994)
1997 – COP 3: Kyoto Protocol to the UNFCCC
signed
2001 – COP 7: Marrakesh Accords (rulebook for
the Kyoto Protocol implementation)
2005 – Kyoto Protocol entered into force; AWG-KP established
2007 – COP 13: Bali Action Plan, AWG-LCA established
2009 – COP 15: COP 15/CMP 5
Copenhagen Accord as a non-UNFCCC document
UNFCCC & KP - Structure
UNFCCC
Conference of Parties - COP
Secretariat
Kyoto Protocol
Conference of parties Serving as meeting of Parties - CMP
Subsidiary Body for
Scientific and Technological Advice
(SBSTA)
CDM EB
JISC
Subsidiary Body for
Implementation
(SBI)
Compliance
AWG-LCA
AWG-KP
Ad Hoc Working Group on
Ad Hoc Working Group on
Further Commitments from Annex I Parties
Long Term Cooperative Action
COP, COP/MOP, SBSTA, SBI, AWG-lCA, and AWG-KP are led by an elected bureau of
officers with representatives from the five UN regional groups + AOSIS
UNFCCC: a freestanding entity
Main objective; overall framework for intergovernmental efforts to tackle
the challenge posed by climate change. It recognizes that the climate
system is a shared resource whose stability can be affected by industrial
and other emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases
Signed 1992,entered into force1994. Ratified by 192 Parties
The Parties to the UNFCCC:
1. Gather and share information on GHG, national policies and best
practices
2. Launch national strategies for addressing GHG emissions and adapting
to expected impacts, including the provision of financial and technological
support to developing countries
3. Cooperate in preparing for adaptation to the impacts of climate change
Conference of Parties (COP) – supreme body of the UNFCCC.
Decisions of the COP are binding documents for the Parties
UNFCCC is NOT a UN subsidiary
UNFCCC: Annexes
Annex I:
committed return their greenhouse-gas
emissions to 1990 levels :
Australia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria,
Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Croatia, Demark,
Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece,
Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia,
Lichtenstein, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Monaco,
Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland,
Portugal, Romania ,Russian Federation, Slovakia,
Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey,
Ukraine, UK, USA, and European Community
Annex II:
special obligation to provide financial resources
and facilitate technology transfer to developing
countries
Australia, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Canada,
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland,
Italy, Japan, Luxemburg, Netherlands, New Zealand,
Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK,
USA, and European Community
Non-Annex I
Without historic responsibility for
carbon pollution
Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, FYR
Macedonia, Montenegro,
Serbia….China, Brazil, India, South
Africa…and others
UNFCCC: subsidiary bodies and agenda
Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological
Advice (SBSTA)
Technology & Technology Transfer (EGTT), Education and
Outreach, Observation, CCS, New Gases, LULUCF, REDD,
Nairobi Work Programme on Adaptation, Interface IPCC
Subsidiary Body for Implementation
Reporting & Review, Adequacy of Commitments, Capacity
Building, Financial Mechanisms, Budgets, Meetings
UNFCCC – ongoing process
Ad-Hoc Working Group on Long Term Cooperative Action under
the UNFCCC (AWG-LCA): UNFCCC implementation beyond
2012
Kyoto Protocol to the UNFCCC:
binding targets promote cooperation
 Drafted in 1997, signed in 1998, entered into force in 16
February 2005 after the Parties possessing at least 55% of global
GHG emissions have ratified the Protocol
 Ratified by 191 countries
Main objective: binding targets for 37 industrialized countries and
the European community for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG)
emissions in the range of 0% (not exceeding: Russia, Ukraine) 8%
Supreme Body – Conference of Parties serving as a Meeting of
Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP)
 Flexible Mechanisms – the way to cost effective GHG emission
reductions
Kyoto Protocol: Annexes
ANNEX A:
GHG gases and emission
sources
ANNEX B (37 Parties)
Bulgaria*
92%
Croatia*
95%
Czech Republic*
92%
Estonia*
92%
European Community
92%
Hungary*
94%
Sectors/source categories
Latvia*
92%
Energy
Lithuania*
92%
Industrial processes
Poland*
94%
Agriculture
Romania*
92%
Waste
Slovakia*
92%
Other
Slovenia*
92%
Greenhouse gases
Carbon dioxide C02), Methane
(CH4), Nitrous oxide (N20),
Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs),
Perfluorocarbons (PFCs),
Sulphur hexafluoride (SF6)
And others
Kyoto Protocol Subsidiary Bodies and Agenda
1. CDM Executive Board
2. Joint Implementation Steering Committee (JISC)
3. Compliance Committee:


Enforcement Branch
Facilitative Branch
4. Ad Hoc Working Group on Further Commitments for Annex I
Parties under the Kyoto Protocol (AWG-KP).
Kyoto target and Kyoto quota: how much a country
has the rights to emit (Annex B)
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Baseyear
92%
Kyoto Quota
2008-2012
1990 level
Target
2008
2012
Kyoto quota is measured in Assigned Amount Units
1 AAU = 1 CO2 equivalent
Kyoto Protocol accounting
Annex I Party
systems
National
systems
National
registries
Eligibility
requirements
Reporting
process
Kyoto
Protocol units
Emissions
inventories
Review and
compliance processes
Secretariat
compilation
and accounting
database
Emissions
2008 - 2012
>
=
<
Source: Claire Breidenich, UNFCCC, presentation at REC workshop, October 2006
Assigned
amount
2008 - 2012
Article 3.1
compliance
assessment
Reporting of an new EU MS (Annex I, Annex B) under the UNFCCC and KP
Types of reports by period of submission
National Communications (every 5 years);
Initial report to establish assigned amount (once prior to commitment period);
Report on demonstrable Progress (once in 2006);
Inventories for GHG emissions by sources and removals by sinks (annually);
Annual report (submitted only in the first committment period, annually)
Small trick: the Annual report is not mandatory in the years 2008-2009.
However, to get full eligibiity it is…still mandatory.
Submissions of the Parties under various Decisions of COPs and COP/MOPs
(as hoc basis)
Current reporting obligations of the non-Annex I Parties
Convention (Articles 4.1 and 12): all Parties must report on the steps they are
taking or envisage undertaking to implement the Convention .
In accordance with the principle of "common but differentiated responsibilities",
the required contents of these national communications and the timetable for
their submission is different for Annex I and non-Annex I Parties.
Each non-Annex I Party shall submit its initial communication within three years
of the entry into force of the Convention for that Party, or of the availability of
financial resources
Core elements of the non-Annex I National Communications:
emissions and removals of greenhouse gases (GHGs) – year 1990 or 1994 for
the initial NC and year 2000 for the Second NC ;
details of the activities a Party has undertaken to implement the Convention
national circumstances
vulnerability assessment,
financial resources and transfer of technology, and
education, training and public awareness
Bi-annual reporting on the state of transposition of the environmental EU
Directives into national legislation
Kyoto Flexible Mechanisms: playing with the Quota,
looking for eligibility
1. Joint Implementation (JI) – project based mechanism:






Regulated by the Art. 6 of the Kyoto Protocol
Can occur only between Annex B Parties
Regulatory body – JISC (JI Steering Committee)
Resulting units – ERU (Emission Reduction Units)
Required simultaneous transfer of AAUs as back up
Track 1 and Track 2 (CDM like)
2. Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) – project based mechanism:





Regulated by the Art. 12 of the Kyoto Protocol
Can occur between Annex B Party and non-Annex B Party
Regulatory boy – CDM Executive Board
Resulting Units CERs (Certified Emission Reductions)
Simultaneous transfer of AAUs is NOT required
3. International Emission Trade – market mechanism



Regulated by Art. 17
Traded Unit – AAU
Green Investment Scheme possible
Negotiation lines
UNFCCC
Kyoto Protocol
SBI
SBSTA
AWG-KP
AWG-LCA
Regional Grouping
(elections to the Bureau of Officers)
 African States
 Asian States
 Eastern European States
 Latin American and the Caribbean States
 Western European and Other States (Australia, Canada,
Iceland, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland and USA)
+AOSiS
Party Grouping: interests lobbying
1. G-77 +China – tremendous negotiation power


Alliance of Small Island States
Least Developed countries
2. European Union:




3.
Gathering of EU-27 every morning to discuss and coordinate
An EU member which holds the presidency negotiates for all the group
European Community is a Party, the only non-country Party to the Protocol but without
voice
In 2008-2012 EU will have to meet obligations made by EU-15
Environment Integrity group - a recently formed coalition comprising Mexico,
the Republic of Korea and Switzerland.
4. Umbrella group (non-EU developed countries)
5. Central Group–2 (former CG-11)
6. Mountainous Land-Locked Countries (Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan)
7. OPEC
8. CACAM (problem with status – non-Annex I but “developing” or not?)
Open Balkan Group – is it a history already?
More history: main achievements and failures
COP
Year
Location
COP 1
1995
Berlin, Germany
COP 2
1996
Geneva,
Switzerland
COP 3
1997
Kyoto, Japan
Kyoto Protocol drafted
COP 4
1998
Buenos-Aires,
Argentina
2-year Action Plan
COP 5
1999
Bonn, Germany
Technical meeting
2000-2001
The Hague,
Netherlands
+Bonn, Germany
After the failure in the Hague,
the agreements in Bonn have
been reached on flexmex,
carbon sinks, compliance
COP 7
2001
Marrakech,
Morocco
Marrakech Accords – rulebook
for KP implementation
COP 8
2002
New Delhi, India
New Delhi Working Programme
on the Article 6 of UNFCCC
COP 9
2003
Milano, Italy
COP 6-a
and COP
6-bis
Main Achievements
Berlin Mandate
The findings of the IPCC Second
Assessment Report accepted
History: cont
COP 10
2004
Buenos-Aires,
Argentina
COP 11/
2005
Montreal, Canada
First MOP, JISC established
2006
Nairobi, Kenya
Nairobi Working Programme
on Adaptation
2007
Bali, Indonesia
Bali Action Plan
2008
Poznan, Poland
Operationalization of
Adaptation Fund
2009
Copenhagen,
Denmark
Copenhagen Accord:
successor failure – still to be
decided
MOP 1
COP 12/
MOP 2
COP 13/
MOP 3
COP 14/
MOP4
COP 15/
MOP 5
International Processes: Climate Change
United Nations
UNEP
WMO
IPCC
Assessment
UNFCCC
Convention
GEF
Finance
Other international Organization within and outside UN:









UN Secretary General
UN Department of Economic and Social Affaires
UN Habitat
UN Industrial Development Organization
World Bank
World Health Organization
World Trade Organization
Food and Agriculture Organization
And others
COP is supreme
body of UNFCCC
UNFCCC is a
freestanding entity not a “subsidiary”
of UN
Climate change diplomacy: main issues
 How to create solid scientific basis for climate change science
(observations, models, projections, forecasts)?
 How to establish reliable system of Greenhouse gases (GHG)
accounting, monitoring and reporting?
 How to mitigate the emissions of GHG?
 How to adapt to the consequences of climate change?
 How to involve all the stakeholders into solving the climate change
problem?
 What is the most appropriate institutional set-up?
 How to finance the whole process?
Main message
Climate Change does not belong to one sector, one industry, one
stakeholder group, one Ministry or even one Party grouping!
Communicate!
Thank you for your attention
www.rec.org