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Press Releases
May 10, 2007
Backgrounder: International Climate Protection Conference
Bonn, May 7 – 18, 2007
International consultations on climate protection began in Bonn on Monday and will last 12 days.
A total of three sessions are taking place in Bonn:
The 26th session of the Subsidiary Bodies of the Framework Convention on Climate Change and Kyoto Protocol (May 7 – 18, 2007)
The third session of the Ad-Hoc Working Group on the Further Commitments for Annex I Parties under the Kyoto Protocol (May 14 – 18, 2007)
The third of four workshops under the Dialogue on long-term cooperative action to address climate change by enhancing implementation of the Convention (May 16 – 17, 2007)
Over 1,000 expert representatives of the Parties to the Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol as well as environmental organizations, businesses, and members of the scientific community will participate in the Bonn consultations. As holder of the EU Presidency, Germany will lead the EU delegation at the negotiations in Bonn.
What goals are being pursued in Bonn?
The aim of the consultations in Bonn is to prepare for the negotiations that will take place in Bali at the 13th Conference of the Parties to the Framework Convention on Climate Change, which will also be the Third Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol. At the Bali conference taking place December 3 – 14, a comprehensive negotiating process is to be agreed, with the ultimate aim of achieving an agreement on climate protection for the period after 2012.
Where will the overall process lead?
This spring the European Council again underscored that global average temperatures must not exceed pre-industrial levels by more than 2° Celsius in order to be able to contain climate change. Global emissions must therefore reach their highest level in the coming 10 to 15 years and then be cut roughly in half by mid-century relative to 1990 levels.
Historically, industrial nations have been the largest emitters of greenhouse gases and are thus mainly responsible for climate change. Their per capita emissions will significantly exceed those in developing countries for the foreseeable future. Industrial nations must therefore reduce their emissions further and much more significantly.
The unchecked growth of emissions in developing countries, particularly in rapidly developing, newly industrialized countries such as China and India, would, however, result in their overall emissions exceeding those of industrial countries. Developing countries, especially those whose emissions will sharply rise in the coming years, must therefore be appropriately integrated into a future regime for climate protection. Developing nations fear that if strict measures for climate protection are introduced too quickly, it will hinder their economic development. Emerging economy countries like Mexico, but also China, recognize, however, that they also have a fundamental responsibility for global climate protection. Whether progress is made in the international process will decisively depend on whether developing and industrial countries can alleviate fears in their mutual relationship and strengthen and build on existing trust.
A future agreement on climate protection will only be acceptable to all parties if it is perceived as a fair balance of interests and contains attractive incentives for all states which are balanced against the associated commitments.
Why is a decision needed at Bali?
The most recent IPPC report has again pointed out that swift action is urgently needed in climate protection.
The first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol ends in 2012. The carbon markets, which directly emerged through the emissions trading mechanism established on the basis of the Protocol and the European emissions trading system that resulted from it, need predictable framework conditions. Future investments in the energy industry will only be steered in a climate-friendly direction if carbon carries a price.
Given that it will take some time for the parties to ratify a new international agreement on climate protection, such a regime must be agreed no later than 2009. A resolution in Bali this year would allow the international community two years to negotiate. This is the minimum amount of time required to agree on a framework as complex as this agreement for the period following 2012.
What specifically will be negotiated in the future process (Montreal Action Plan)?
The Montreal Action Plan is the road map for further development of the international climate convention for the period after 2012. It summarizes the three resolutions adopted in Montreal (11th Conference of the Parties to the Framework Convention on Climate Change and the First Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol) to decide on the future of the climate protection regime:
The Parties to the Kyoto Protocol agreed in Montreal to continue on the successful course taken under the Kyoto Protocol by establishing legally binding limits on emissions and commitments by industrial countries to reduce emissions also after 2012. It was decided to create an ad-hoc working group to further develop the regime. The group is to ensure that there is no gap between the first and second commitment periods of the Kyoto Protocol (2008 – 2012 and from 2013 onward, respectively). The main task of the third session in Bonn will be to discuss the mitigation potential of industrial countries. The EU will introduce its climate and energy policy goals into this discussion and encourage other industrial nations to specify their ideas. The decision to create the ad-hoc working group was based on Article 3.9 of the Kyoto Protocol, which provided for a review of the commitments by industrial nations in 2005.
A review of all commitments under the Kyoto Protocol is provided for under Art. 9.2. The Conference of the Parties decided in Nairobi in November 2006 that the parties are to present their ideas for review by the next Conference of the Parties in Bali. No negotiations are taking place on this matter in Bonn.
In particular, options for more actively integrating developing nations into a future regime for climate protection are to be discussed within the context of a broader dialogue on expanding the commitments under the Framework Convention. All the states will participate in this dialogue, including the United States and Australia. The third and fourth workshops under the Dialogue will take place in Bonn. The discussions will focus on adaptation and technology. Both issues will play a central role in a future agreement on climate protection, and the EU will present its ideas on these issues. The fourth workshop under the Dialogue is planned for late summer. In December, the 13th Conference of the Parties in Bali is to report on the outcome and decide how to proceed.
What part will the EU play?
This spring, the Heads of State and Government of the European Union adopted an ambitious climate protection and energy policy. It sends a clear signal for the climate protection negotiations in Bali. The EU is willing within the framework of a global agreement on climate protection to reduce its emission by 30 percent relative to 1990 levels by 2020 if other industrial nations make similar commitments and the developing countries make an appropriate contribution to such a regime. Irrespective of a further agreement, the EU will reduce its emissions by at least 20 per cent. By 2020, the EU will increase the share of renewable of energies in primary energy consumption to 20 per cent; biofuels are to reach 10 percent of fuel consumption. The member states are to raise energy efficiency by 20 percent above the expected trend.
The EU move to agree on an ambitious, independent goal and negotiating strategy provides important impetus to overcome existing roadblocks in the negotiations. Until now, no industrial nation was prepared to quantify its possible efforts to reduce emissions. Each party was waiting for the other to take the first step. The EU efforts to reduce emissions also indicate which measures the EU would like to implement in the developing countries. The investment volume which the EU would thus be able to achieve represents an important incentive for developing nations.
How does Germany benefit from active climate protection policy?
The report of the chief economist of the British Government, Sir Nicholas Stern, describes what economic opportunities are open to Germany through active climate protection policy. Successful economic and social development will only be possible in the mid- and long term if climate change can be effectively maintained at a tolerable level. Germany and the European Union need to actively use the opportunities offered by climate protection to modernize their economies.
It makes sense – not only for the climate but also for the economy and employment –
* to increase energy efficiency because energy efficiency is cost-effective and that, in turn, increases competitiveness;
* to force a sea change in energy policy and to invest both in the expansion of renewable energies and in modern, highly efficient fossil-fuel plants.
What part does Germany play in international climate protection policy?
As one of the world’s largest industrial nations, Germany will continue to play a leadership role in the field of climate protection. Germany has the economic strength, excellent engineers, and the capacities to find and apply innovative solutions to counter climate change. During the German EU Council Presidency, the member states agreed on a coherent and ambitious EU strategy for climate protection and energy policy.
Germany will redouble its efforts to promote bilateral cooperation with developing nations in the field of energy and climate protection in order to support the multilateral process. One cornerstone of this cooperation is the CDM Initiative (Clean Development Mechanism). The German Ministry for the Environment makes aid available to companies interested in using CDM. Good projects are identified through a brief check. A handbook is available to assist in preparing the documents necessary to apply for the aid. Soon, a database summarizing best practices will become available. With the signing of a memorandum of understanding, the political basis will be established for the cooperation with partner countries. The Federal Ministry for the Environment has set up a clearing house which quickly establishes contact with the appropriate agencies.
What will happen at the session of the Subsidiary Bodies?
At the session of the Subsidiary Bodies, technical issues dealing with specific procedures and further development of the Framework Convention and the Kyoto Protocol will be discussed and negotiated. The decisions to be taken by the Conference of the Parties in December will also be prepared. The agenda items include further specification of the structure of the adaptation fund, discussion of the budget, proposals for reducing emissions caused by deforestation in developing nations, and several workshops dealing with mitigation potential in the area of urban development, energy generation, and energy efficiency.
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