unfccc cop16 and iucn- saadullah ayaz

IUCN’s Views on UNFCCC- COP 16, Cancún Mexico (2010)

IUCN, INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR CONSERVATION OF NATURE

Saadullah Ayaz

IUCN Pakistan

COP 15 (Copenhagen, 2009) produced un-expected results, resulting in a deadlock

among negotiating partners

Outcome of COP15 was ‘Copenhagen Accord’ . Majority of Parties believe that;

- Copenhagen Accord is not an ideal deal (neither ‘Fair’ nor ‘Ambitious’ or ‘Binding’);

INTRODUCTION


- Copenhagen Accord is not an ideal deal (neither ‘Fair’ nor ‘Ambitious’ or ‘Binding’);

- Was decided outside the negotiating panel;

- Many pertinent issues have been left out;

- There is no clarity on how the various ‘decisions’ in the Accord are to be taken

forward;

- The Accord is considered ‘homeless’ and is not part of the UNFCCC’s acquis.

COPENHAGEN ACCORD- IUCN VIEWS

IUCN Pakistan believes that the following have been left out in Copenhagen Accord

must be stressed upon by Pakistan during COP16 negotiations:

• The Copenhagen Accord does not apparently strengthens the Kyoto Protocol and

is neither regarded to be a fair, nor an ambitions or binding deal;

• Copenhagen Accord does not set out any ‘medium term emission goals’ and does


• Copenhagen Accord does not set out any ‘medium term emission goals’ and does

not describe the practical pathway to achieve the 2°C target;

• No particular commitment s have been made to halving global emissions by 2050,

which are necessary for achieving 2°C target;

• The Accord does not agree on any specific emission reduction commitments by

Annex-I countries;

• No specific deadline has been agreed to complete a legally binding instrument

under the Kyoto Protocol;

• It is believed that the Accord does not provide any basis to review the agreement in

the light of the latest science and in particular. The scientifically described impacts

for developing countries;


• The Accord does not provide commitments for ‘a compliance mechanism’;

• No financial commitment have been made for Post Kyoto Period (particularly

between 2015-2020);

• It does not commit on long-term (post 2020) public finance for developing countries,

that will be additional to existing development assistance;

ISSUES ARE CONTRIBUTING TO THIS SITUATION

• The continuing absence of national legislation in Annex I countries and the US (in

particular) are not sufficiently committed t o reducing their emissions;

• Annex I countries (with the exception of the EU and Norway) had not expressed

clear openness to a second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol;

• The developing countries (nearly as a whole) seem un-willing to firm up on the


• The developing countries (nearly as a whole) seem un-willing to firm up on the

Copenhagen Accord by translating their pledges into legally binding commitments

for Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Action (NAMAs) and to accept that the

measuring, reporting and verification provisions in the Accord be enshrined in a

legally binding post 2012 agreement;

• Fast track finance (for 2010-2012) has been slow to be materialised. Long-term

(post 2020) finance has not been secured either;

CONFIDENCE BUILDING MEASURES URGENTLY NEEDED IN CANCÚN

Hopes are high- COP 16 expected to be a milestone for strengthened international

action;

Progress towards establishing a global post-2012 climate change regime has proven

painfully slow. There appears to be broad expectation that the adoption of a legally

binding agreement may be postponed beyond December 2010;


Challenge posed to humanity by climate change is greater and more urgent than it has

as it ever been; Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is the only, long-term answer to

restoring the global climate to stability;

Parties seem to have come closer to agreement on a number of crucial issues

including: adaptation; reducing emissions form deforestation and forest degradation in

developing countries (the REDD+ mechanism); technology transfer and capacity

building.

It is important that the Decisions taken by the COP16 at Cancun restore and boost


It is important that the Decisions taken by the COP16 at Cancun restore and boost

confidence in the UNFCC process and the eventual outcome of the negotiations. The

COP16 should therefore finalise the issues on which progress has been made and

adopt a balanced package of Decisions. Action on each of them should follow

immediately.

IUCN’S CALL FOR ACTION AT COP16

IUCN calls for rapid and robust action by States, communities and individuals to

take all possible steps to cut their emissions of all greenhouse gases immediately

to ensure that the target agreed at Copenhagen, i. e., to limit the rise in global

average temperature to 2ºC above pre-industrial levels can be achieved;

COP16 takes ‘confidence building measures’ in the form of a balanced package of

Decisions on REDD-plus, adaptation, technology transfer and capacity building;


Decisions on REDD-plus, adaptation, technology transfer and capacity building;

IUCN also calls for a rapid advance in the development, testing and application of

ecosystem-based approaches for mitigation in forests and for adaptation in

vulnerable ecosystems and dependent communities;

New and additional fast-track funding needs to be made available immediately, for

both adaptation and mitigation;

IUCN calls for the establishment of a strong and implementation oriented Adaptation

Framework as part of a post-2012 regime

IUCN calls for the recognition of sustainable management of natural resources in

building resilience of socio-economic and ecological systems


IUCN also calls for the immediate disbursement of new and additional financial

means to enable adaptation actions to be implemented on the ground.

IUCN also calls for all people, communities and Parties to take such adaptation

actions as they can towards the goals of the envisioned Framework, and towards

reducing the vulnerability and increasing the resilience of developing countries in

particular.

IUCN calls on the Parties to ensure that national REDD-plus frameworks reflect the

progress at Copenhagen;

IUCN calls for gender considerations to be taken into account in the negotiation

process and in the future climate regime wherever appropriate;


IUCN emphasises the importance of building capacity for action at national and local

level, both on adaptation and mitigation.

Thanks

For more information, please contact:


For more information, please contact:

Saadullah AyazCoordinator Climate Change and Clean Air for Asian Cities,

Islamabad Programme Office

IUCN Pakistan

Tel: +92 (51) 2271028- 30

Email: [email protected]

Web: http://iucn.org/unfccc/resources/documents/

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