Bonn climate change conference: Big win for India and developing countries, key demands on ‘pre-2020 actions’ likely to be met

Bonn climate change conference: Big win for India and developing countries, key demands on ‘pre-2020 actions’ likely to be met

Context

• India and developing countries scored an important victory at the climate change conference as key demands on ‘pre-2020 actions’ was agreed

What is the significance of ‘pre-2020 actions?

• The ultimate objective of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is to prevent dangerous human interference with the climate system.
• Developing countries agreed to craft Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs) that are in line with their national development objectives.
• Through NAMAs, developing countries aim to reduce their emissions below business as usual by 2020.

What is the significance of Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Action?

• Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Action (NAMA) refers to a set of policies and actions that countries undertake as part of a commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
• It also emphasizes financial assistance from developed countries to developing countries to reduce emissions.

What was the primary agenda of the conference?

• The 23rd session of the Conference of Parties (CoP23) focused on preparing the rule book for implementation of the Paris Agreement as India, China and Iran took the floor at the opening plenary to raise the issue of vast inadequacy of climate actions in the run up to 2020

What happened?

• It was agreed that the next two climate conferences, in 2018 and 2019, will have special ‘stock-taking’ sessions on the ‘pre-2020 actions’ being taken by different countries.
• ‘Pre-2020 actions’ would also be included for discussion in another scheduled review meeting at next year’s conference
• Countries have to assess whether all the climate actions they are planning to take was commensurate to keeping the global temperatures from rising beyond 1.5 or 2 degrees Celsius from pre-industrial times

What was the outcome at Bonn?

• The breakthrough came on a day that heads of states and ministers gathered in Bonn to give the final touches to decisions that would be taken here. In the last two days, countries have also reached separate agreements on issues related to agriculture, loss and damages, integration of gender in climate policy.
• All these agreements, including the one reached on ‘pre-2020 actions’, would be reflected in the final decisions to be adopted at the end of Bonn meeting.
• A number of other issues, including those related to finance, and preparation of the rulebook for the Paris Agreement, are still under discussions.