Download Outcomes of 21st Session of Conference of

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OUTCOMES OF THE 21ST SESSION OF THE CONFERENCE OF
PARTIES (COP 21) TO THE UNITED NATIONS CONVENTION ON
CLIMATE CHANGE (UNFCCC) AND THE 11TH SESSION OF THE
CONFERENCE OF PARTIES SERVING AS THE MEETING OF
PARTIES TO THE KYOTO PROTOCOL (CMP 11)
PORTFOLIO CPMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS:
15 MARCH 2016
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PURPOSE
• To provide feedback to the Portfolio Committee on
Environmental Affairs on the Outcomes 21st Session of
the Conference of Parties (COP 21) to the United
Nations Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and
the 11th Session of the Conference of Parties serving as
the Meeting of Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP 11.
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BACKGROUND
UNFCCC COP 17 in Durban
Set up a four-year negotiation process for a new
agreement to be reached in 2015, to apply to global
emissions after 2020, and increase the international
effort to limit emissions up to 2020 – the Durban
Platform
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Progress Towards Paris 2015
COP17 Durban 2011
Ad Hoc Working
Group on the
Durban Platform
(ADP) 4 year
negotiation of
new agreement
2015 & increase
level of ambition
COP18 Doha 2012
Doha
Amendment

Terminates
AWG KP and
LCA KP,
confirms
ADP Agenda
to come into
effect by
2020
COP 19 Warsaw 2013
COP 20 2014
Outlined required ADP
decisions for 2015,
Warsaw International
Mechanism on Loss and
Damage established,
adaptation agenda
consolidated, Green
Climate Fund (GCF)
advanced and
adaptation fund $100mil
& progress made KP
accounting rules for
second commitment
period
Information required to
complete an INDC, A
breakthrough on the
attainment of over USD 10
billion pledges for the
Green Climate Fund
(GCF), agreement on
differentiation and the
principle of common but
differentiated
responsibilities and
respective capabilities.
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KEY ISSUES IN UNFCC COP21 / CMP 11
NEGOTIATIONS[1]
Key issues in the negotiations at COP 21 in Paris, France
included:
• To fulfil the Durban mandate by adopting a new legally
binding Agreement for implementation from the year 2020;
• To address the ambition gaps in the pre-2020 period;
• How to reflect the principle of common but differentiated
responsibility and respective capabilities;
• Parity between mitigation and adaptation; and
• How to addressing the means of implementation (finance,
technology and capacity building).
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KEY ISSUES IN UNFCC COP21 / CMP 11
NEGOTIATIONS[2]
• Strengthen and enhance the effectiveness and efficiency
of climate action through provisions to strengthen
institutional linkages between various mechanisms
created under the UNFCCC, for example:
 between the Adaptation Committee and the Technology Executive
Committee with the Standing Committee on Finance and the
Green Climate Fund (GCF) and other operating entities of the
Convention’s Financial Mechanism.
• Conclude the rules for second commitment of the Kyoto
Protocol.
• How to locate Response Measure Forum & Warsaw
International Mechanism on Loss & Damage.
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SA POSITION [1]
As the originator of the Durban Mandate, under which the Paris negotiations
took place, South Africa sought to contribute constructively towards the
success of the Paris COP:
• had a clear mandate to defend the Convention core principles of equity
and differentiation, in line with South Africa’s national interest as an
African developing country that requires support post-2020.
• as the Chair of the G77 and China comprising of 134 countries, South
Africa sought to maintain and strengthen the unity of developing
countries.
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SA POSITION[2]
• Give equal priority to adaptation and mitigation with balanced
provision of means of implementation.
• South Africa as a vulnerable country was to adopt an Agreement in
Paris that is fair, ambitious and science-based and that protects the
development space of developing countries.
• Adopt adequate-to keep temperature increase below 2 degrees Celsius.
• Agreement that is equitable by reflecting differentiation through
designing effective commitments and actions, by following the structure
of the Convention for formulation of common and individual
commitments.
• Ensuring pathways to reaching US$100 billion climate finance by
2020 address post 2020 Finance.
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SA POSITION[3]
• Ensure that the Warsaw International Mechanism on Loss & Damage to
the impacts of climate change receive a mandate to continue beyond
2017.
• Adoption of KP2 rules to enable ratification of the KP2 and entry into
force.
• Ensure that the continuation of the Forum on Response Measures - to
develop a system for more cooperation where developed countries
cannot take unilateral measures in their decisions to address climate
change with negative consequences on developing countries, just
transitions for the work force that will be affected.
• Establishment of a permanent institutional arrangement under the
Convention for effective implementation and monitoring of all the
activities on capacity-building including linkage between adaptation,
mitigation, technology and financial system.
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KEY OUTCOMES
• COP 21 in Paris is universally regarded as a seminal point in the
development of the international climate change regime under the
UNFCCC, concluding as it did with the Paris Agreement (PA).
• The PA is a comprehensive framework which will guide
international efforts to limit GHG emissions and to meet all the
associated challenges posed by climate change.
• PA does not provide much of the detail necessary for its
implementation. This detail will instead be negotiated by Parties
over the next five years - through Ad Hoc Working Group on the
Paris Agreement (APA).
• SA played a central and constructive role in its capacity as Chair of
the Group of 77 and China, member of the AGN, BASIC, as well as
in its national capacity.
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Paris Outcome
• Strong political signal – 187 countries submitted INDC’s covering some
97% or global GHG emissions – 150 leaders attended opening session
• Internationally binding Agreement. However, follows a hybrid model;
Global goals
• Well below 2 degrees C, pursuing efforts toward 1,5 degrees C
• Global peaking ASAP
• Linked to costs of adaptation. Increasing adaptation capability
• International climate finance levels consistent with LEDS and resilience
• Implemented to reflect equity and CBDR&RC, inl ight of national
circumstance
For Mitigation
• Based on Nationally Determined Contributions (bottom-up)
• With legal commitment to submit NDC’s every 5 years (top-down)
• Public registry of NDC’s
• Principle of progressive increase in levels of ambition (top-down)
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Paris Outcome
For Mitigation (Cont
• DC’s QEERT’s (top-down)
• DingC’s move to QEERT’s over time (bottom-up)
• REDD+ continuation (tools)
• Cooperative market & non market mechanisms (tools)
For Adaptation
• Global challenge of adaptation linked to mitigation ambition levels
• Recognition of adaptation as a global contribution
• “Should” strengthen adaptation cooperation
• NAP’s and communicate these internationally (bottom-up like NDC’s)
• Public registry of Adaptation contributions
• Report internationally (top-down)
Loss & Damage
• Continuation and enhancement of the Warsaw L&D mechansim
• International cooperation and support for L&D
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Paris Outcome
Finance
• DC’s “shall” provide finance for mitigation and adaptation (top-down)
• Others (DingC’s) encouraged
• All sources
• Biennial communication of finance contributions
Technology
• Continuation of the Technology mechanism
• Overarching Technology Framework
• Finance for innovation
• Commitment to international technology cooperation
Capacity Building
• Adopted at CMA 1 the Paris Committee on Capacity Building or other
institiutional arrangement
• International capacity building cooperation
• Enhanced EE and public awareness
• Communication of capacity building action
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Paris Outcome
Transparency
• Enhanced transparency framework based on existing reporting
• Tracking mitigation, adaptation and support provided and received
• Country performance reports undergo technical review
• Country reports subject to multilateral consideration
• Still to negotiate detailed rules prior to 2020 (top-down)
Review of adequacy – Global Stock Take
• Assess collective progress to inform NDC’s every 5 years
• Covers mitigation, adaptation and MoI
Compliance
• Facilitative Compliance mechanism
• Comprised of experts
• Still to negotiate detailed modalities, procedures and rules prior to 2020
(top-down)
Entry into force
• 55 countries and 55% of world emissions
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THE DECISIONS- PRE 2020
• CMP 11 concluded the rule set for the second commitment period of the
Kyoto Protocol- 4 year negotiations;
• CMP also concluded Review of the modalities and procedures for the
clean development mechanism. This will make it easier for countries in
Africa to implement the CDM;
• Establish a technical process on Adaptation to identify concrete
opportunities for strengthening resilience, reducing vulnerabilities and
increasing the implementation of adaptation actions in the pre-2020 period;
• Financial pledges made to the Adaptation Fund to the tune of $75
million; and
• Financial pledges also made to Least Developed Countries Fund to the
tune of $248 million.
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IMPLICATIONS[1]
• The Paris Agreement represents a turning point in global climate
governance and strengthens rules-based multilateralism.
• The Agreement does not rewrite or reinterpret the UN Framework
Convention on Climate Change.
• The Agreement serves as a model for consensus based multilateral
decision making.
• The Paris Agreement will be opened for signature from the 22 April 2016,
thereafter Parties will ratify it between 21 April 2017 and 2020.
• It will enter into force, 30 days after 55 Parties covering 55% of the total
global greenhouse gas emissions have ratified it.
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IMPLICATIONS[2]
• SA is already acting, and has long been doing so, to build the nation’s
resilience to the impacts of climate change, and to accelerate our transition
to a lower carbon economy and society.
• Invest significantly in renewable energy, public transport, energy
efficiency, waste management and land restoration initiatives country
wide, in order to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions intensity of our
economy.
• All spheres of Government are refining their strategies for adapting to
the impacts of climate change, and for enhancing the capacity of
institutions, services, infrastructure, human settlements and ecosystem
services to respond and bounce back from the impacts of climate change.
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IMPLICATIONS[3]
• The Paris Agreement requires South Africa to implement the 5 year
emission reduction cycle that:
(i) sets carbon budgets for companies whose production processes are carbon intense;
(ii) requires such companies to submit plans that demonstrate how they will meet their
targets, and
(iii) requires companies to report regularly on their greenhouse gas emissions, for the
compilation of the national greenhouse gas emissions inventory.
• SA and all other countries will have to report on implementation of NDC.
• Update or communicate new NDC every 5 years.
• Formulate, and communicate, by 2020, mid-century, long-term low
greenhouse gas emission development strategies.
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IMPLICATIONS[4]
• The Paris Agreement also requires South Africa to:
(i) strengthen its work on developing a national strategy for adapting to the impacts of climate change;
(ii) strengthen our early warning systems, and
(iii) strengthen our institutional capacity to respond to extreme events, such as droughts and floods,
and slow onset events, such as shifting rainfall patterns that have an impact on crop production.
• SA will also have to submit adaptation communications periodically, which
includes national priorities, implementation, plans and support needed.
• Finally we needs to increase the pace of implementation as agreed during
the National Climate Change Dialogue that we hosted in 2014- through
flagship programmes.
• All of this work is well underway, in collaboration with the relevant sector
departments and research institutions, in consultation with all stakeholders.
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RECOMMENDATIONS
It is recommended that PCEA note of the outcomes of the 21st
Session of the Conference of Parties (COP 21) to the United
Nations Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and the
11th Session of the Conference of Parties serving as the
Meeting of Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP 11).
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