ENB UPDATE

The Bonn Climate Change Conference was expected to advance work on several issues to facilitate implementation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and its Paris Agreement, due for completion at the Santiago Climate Change Conference in December 2019. Delegates made progress on a number of issues, including:

• Paris Agreement Article 6 (market and non-market cooperative approaches
• Terms of Reference (ToR) for the review of the Warsaw International Mechanism on Loss and Damage associated with Climate Change Impacts (WIM);
• Reporting tables and other issues related to the transparency framework under the Paris Agreement; and
• Koronivia Joint Work on Agriculture.

Parties were unable to advance several issues, including the issue of the Adaptation Fund’s Board membership, with parties diverging on the need to reform the Board once it transitions from serving the Kyoto Protocol to exclusively serving the Paris Agreement. The outcome on common time frames of future nationally determined contributions (NDCs) was procedural, to continue consideration of the issue without intersessional work or agreeing to a deadline to reach agreement. 

Several parties were deeply disappointed with the outcomes related to scientific issues. Most notably, many delegates and civil society demonstrated and repeated the mantra “Science is not negotiable” to express their frustration with the outcome on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report on 1.5°C of Global Warming. Parties agreed to thank the IPCC for its work on the report, but did not engage in substantive discussions of its findings as many had hoped. Read full report

This workshop discussed the concept of true cost accounting (TCA) as a tool to account for the impacts food systems have on environment, health and social dimension, and whether it is time for such a tool to be applied in US policy decision making.

Discussions explored current and prospective challenges to developing and applying TCA approaches, methodologies, and tools, and achieving their uptake by US and other policy makers, as well as by the private sector. Read full report

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The last day of the Bonn Climate Change Conference started slow, to allow parties to work through difficult issues, and ended smoothly, as parties adopted the outcomes of the meetings.

In a much-awaited decision on the Special Report on 1.5°C of Global Warming (SR1.5), the SBSTA “expressed its appreciation and gratitude to the IPCC and the scientific community for responding to the invitation of the Conference of the Parties (COP) and providing the SR1.5, which reflects the best available science.” The decision reflected a razor-thin compromise between the many parties who wanted to celebrate the scientific achievements of the report and the few who expressed concerns with the report.

Parties agreed to several outcomes, including: the Koronivia Joint Work on Agriculture; the terms of reference for the review of the Warsaw International Mechanism on Loss and Damage associated with climate change impacts; the Nairobi Work Programme; and Article 6 (markets and non-market approaches. Read full coverage

With two days remaining, delegates worked toward agreement, but were unable to resolve outstanding issues, including on the IPCC Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C and the review of the Warsaw International Mechanism on Loss and Damage. Delegates will meet again tomorrow to discuss how to move forward on Article 6 (market and non-market approaches). Read full report

The ninth meeting of the Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group to Enhance the Functioning of the Multilateral System (MLS) of access and benefit-sharing (ABS) of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) reached tentative compromise to amend Annex I of the Treaty (list of crops in the MLS), to include all plant genetic resources for food and agriculture (PGRFA) under the management and control of parties and in the public domain, in ex situ conditions, while allowing for reasoned national exemptions regarding a limited number of native species.

The Working Group also agreed on a package of measures, also known as the growth plan, that simultaneously adopts the revised Standard Material Transfer Agreement (SMTA) and the amendment of Annex I. With some items remaining pending under the draft revised SMTA, the meeting was suspended, to allow for additional time to finalize negotiations before the eighth session of the Treaty’s Governing Body in November 2019. Read full report

The Bonn Climate Change Conference started its final week of work. Delegates spent most of the day reacting or providing input to draft conclusions that will capture the outcomes of many issues under discussion. Read full report

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The Bonn Climate Change Conference concluded its first week of work. Delegates were unable to agree on several draft conclusions and decisions, leaving four days to settle issues such as the IPCC Special Report on 1.5°C of Global Warming and common timeframes, among others. Read full report

The Bonn Climate Change Conference continued technical discussions, with extensive time devoted to Article 6 (markets and non-market approaches). While youth activists demonstrated in nearby Aachen, some negotiators at the conference characterized the negotiations as “sluggish.” Read full report

On Friday, the Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group to Enhance the Functioning of the Multilateral System (MLS) of access and benefit-sharing (ABS) of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) continued negotiations on outstanding items regarding the revision of the Standard Material Transfer Agreement (SMTA) and the draft resolution on enhancement of the Treaty’s MLS, with focus on payment rates for benefit-sharing under the subscription and single access systems, and genetic sequence data from MLS material.

The Working Group acknowledged that additional time is required to finalize negotiations on the outstanding items. As a result, the meeting was suspended and the Working Group will reconvene for three days before the eighth meeting of the Treaty’s Governing Body, to be held from 11-16 November 2019, in Rome, Italy. Read full coverage

The United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030) (UN Decade) was established by the UN to provide a common framework for strengthening management of the world’s oceans for the benefit of humanity. The “informal” nature of the UN Open-ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea (ICP) fosters an open exchange among participants and, for 2019, offered a unique opportunity to provide vital input to planning of the UN Decade.

Over the week, delegates heard presentations and had thoughtful discussions covering a wide range of topics that will feed relevant information to the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (IOC-UNESCO), which is coordinating design of the Decade. The structure of ICP-20—presentations followed by open discussions—focused on two main areas: identifying the sources, uses of, and gaps related to the ocean science for sustainable use of marine resources, and international cooperation and coordination needed to address gaps in ocean science. Read full report

Both the subsidiary bodies of the climate convention launched their work amid calls for greater climate ambition. Parties highlighted the Article 6 markets, common time frames for national pledges, and transparency discussions as among the priorities for the next two weeks. Read full report

The Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group to Enhance the Functioning of the Multilateral System (MLS) of access and benefit-sharing (ABS) of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) exchanged views on a package of measures to attain the enhanced MLS.

This Working Group aims to finalize revision of the standard Material Transfer Agreement to enhance the Multilateral System on Access and Benefit Sharing. Delegates are also expected to address issues related to digital sequence information (DSI) and explore supportive measures to facilitate the implementation of a possible expansion of the coverage of the MLS. Read full coverage

The 56th Council meeting of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) approved a US$865.9 million work program, the biggest in its history. An additional US$101.57 million was approved for funding under work programs for the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF) and the Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF).

The projects are expected to benefit 2.1 million people in 91 countries, including 30 Least Developed Countries and 32 Small Island Developing States (SIDS). The projects will include efforts to bring about a transformational shift in agriculture and land use systems, help fishing people, improve the management of soils, and tackle illegal world wildlife trade. Watch video

The recommendations will help shape China’s domestic and international policies, including its 14th Five-Year Plan and its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). International delegates urged China to help BRI partner countries avoid becoming locked-in to outdated, polluting technologies, and to help them meet their respective commitments under the Paris Agreement and the SDGs. Read full report

Delegates also heard from municipal officials and private individuals, including Jiang Lijuan, an entrepreneur from Chun’an, Zhejiang, and former winner of the UN Champions of the Earth award, who had established a sustainable tourism business in her hometown, encouraging many others to return to their roots. Read full coverage

At the closing session in the afternoon, Han Zheng, CCICED Chair and State Council Vice-Premier, expressed China’s readiness to engage deeply in global environmental governance, and affirmed the role of CCICED in preparing relevant recommendations. Read full report

Many participants suggested that bringing positive messages about circularity, instead of presenting a “doom scenario” of environmental degradation, will have a greater chance to drive change. Director Mari Pantsar, Sitra, closed the two-day Forum by inviting all delegates to continue this conversation at the next WCEF, which will take place in Canada in 2020.Read full coverage

The Forum showed that consumer mindsets remain a barrier for the circular economy and more work is required to raise awareness of sustainable consumption. Delegates argued that transition to a circular economy is essential to respond to the climate crisis and the rapid destruction of the biosphere, which is affecting human health. Read full coverage

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The first session of the UN-Habitat Assembly delivered resolutions: on safe cities and human settlements; capacity building for implementation of the New Urban Agenda and the urban dimension of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development; gender equality to support inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable cities and human settlements; and enhancing urban-rural linkages for sustainable urbanization, among others. As one of the highest-level decision making bodies on sustainable urbanization and human settlements, discussions at the session focused on direct linkages to other multilateral development meetings and processes, including the Climate Action Summit, the 2030 Agenda, and the Sustainable Development Goals.Read full report

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Participants then provided feedback and made further suggestions on these topics. Discussions highlighted many examples of good practice, as well as opportunities for improvements. Many participants highlighted the need to adopt a systems approach that will allow for cross-cutting and multi-stakeholder approaches to problem solving. Read full report