After Bonn…next stop Bonn!

Wednesday, 08 April 2009 00:00

The first drafts of negotiating texts will be on the table when the next round of negotiations on a new UN Climate deal in the run-up to Copenhagen, will start in Bonn on 1-12 June.

The first of a series of meetings scheduled for this year concluded in Bonn 8 April, capturing the essential elements of strengthened international climate change action to be reflected in first negotiating texts for the next round of talks in June.

Yvo de Boer, Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, said: “Countries have narrowed gaps in many practical areas, for example on how to strengthen action for adapting to the impacts of climate change. They now have the necessary clarity to move into intensified negotiations based on texts.”

The Bonn climate change talks 29 March-08 April 2009

“The negotiating texts for the Climate Change Talks in June will further pinpoint the details of cooperative international climate change action, as well as focus work on the financial support needed to unleash action in developing countries. .This is important progress given the very limited time negotiators have to get to an agreed outcome in Copenhagen in December this year,” Mr. de Boer added.

Discussions under the Kyoto Protocol on emissions reductions to be achieved by industrialized countries after 2012 focused on issues such as the scale of the reductions, improvements to emissions trading and the project-based mechanisms, and on options for the treatment of land use, land-use change and forestry.

Agreement was reached to provide the Chair of the group with a mandate to prepare negotiating texts on emission reductions to be achieved by industrialized countries after 2012, as well as on other issues such as improvements to the project-based mechanisms.

Harald Dovland, Chair of a key ad-hoc working group said: “I am extremely pleased that we have agreement to prepare these texts. Things are certainly moving forward.”