Progress at Bonn Climate Change Talks signals start of serious negotiation

Thursday, 09 April 2009 05:57

( Bonn, 08 April 2009) – The latest round of UN Climate Change Talks in Bonn, Germany concluded April 8, 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 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.

Bonn, 8 April. Yvo de Boer (third from left), the UNFCCC Executive Secretary says important progress was reached at the Bonn talks.

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 the AWG-KP said: "I am extremely pleased that we have agreement to prepare these texts. Things are certainly moving forward." The June session will finalize these negotiating texts, which will be proposals for amendments to the Kyoto Protocol.

The Bonn Talks were the first in a series of meetings scheduled for this year in the run-up to Copenhagen. The next round of negotiations will be held from Monday, 1 June till Friday, 12 June 2009 at the Hotel Maritim in Bonn, when the first drafts of negotiating texts will be on the table.