The outcome of Doha Climate Change Conference 8 th dec 2012

The Doha Climate
Change Conference
that concluded on 8th
December, 2012 has
resulted in three
decisions (clubbed
together as ‘Doha
Climate Gateway’)
aimed at advancing
the implementation of
the UN Framework
Convention on
Climate Change
(UNFCCC) and its
Kyoto Protocol (KP).
The key questions for
the Doha conference
were: amending the
Kyoto Protocol to
implement the second
commitment under
the Protocol;
successfully
concluding the work
of the Bali Action Plan
(BAP); and planning
the work under the
Durban Platform (DP)
for Enhanced Action
which was agreed to
at Durban last
year.The Conference
addressed all the
three issues and came
out with a package
which balanced the
interests and
obligations of various
countries.
The Doha Conference
has succeeded in
carrying out
amendmentsto the KP
making the second
commitment period
(CP2) of emission
reduction by KP
parties effective
immediately
beginning January 1,
2013. Although the
emission reduction
obligations
undertaken by the
Annex I parties are
not as ambitious as
required by
science,the KP parties
have agreed to
implement the targets
over an 8 years
period (2013-2020),
thusproviding relative
degree of certainty to
the carbon markets.
EU, the major KP
Party will reduce its
emissions by 20% by
2020 compared to
1990. It has been
agreed that the KP
parties will revisit
their targets in 2014
with a view to
increasing their
ambition; this will be
unconditional and
will have no linkage
with the work of the
Durban Platform.
Thisdecision,along-
with provisional
application of the
amendments on an
‘opt-in’ basis has
ensured that there
will be no gap
between the first
commitment period
under the KP ending
on December 31, 2012
and the second one
commencing on
January 1, 2013.
The decision permits
the parties to carry
over their
accumulated surplus
Assigned Amount
Units (AAUs) from the
first commitment
period to the second.
However, the
carryover of the
Certified Emission
Reduction (CER) units
or Emission Reduction
Units (ERUs) from the
first period will be
limited to the extent
of 2.5%. The use of
these units will be
permitted only for
meeting the shortfall
in domestic emissions
reduction target.
Moreover, the trading
between two parties
in the AAUs will be
limited to 2% only of
the reserve.
As per the agreement,
only those KP parties
that have agreed to
take mandatory
targets under the KP
in the CP2 will be
able to use the
flexibility mechanisms
such as Clean
development
Mechanism (CDM),
and Joint
Implementation (JI).
While the facility of
trading in CERs and
ERUs will be available
only to such KP
parties, the rules
allow all Annex-I KP
Parties to continue to
participate in ongoing
and new project
activities under CDM.
This has created a
possibility for the
Annex-I parties other
than those having
targets under the KP
to trade in units from
projects as and when
modalities for
operation of new
market mechanisms
covering such
projects are
developed by the SBI.
At the Doha
Conference, India
protected its interests
fully and succeeded in
bringing the three
issues of Equity,
Technology-related
IPRs and the
Unilateral Measures
firmly back on the
table. These
outstanding or
unresolved issues
under the Bali Action
Plan (BAP) are now
part of the planned or
continuing work of
various bodies of the
Convention. At Doha,
India also ensured
that agriculture, being
a sensitive sector of
our economy, was
prevented from being
included in the
mitigation work
programmeproposed
to be launched at the
global level.
The reassertion of the
principle of Equity
and CBDR which have
remained muted since
Copenhagen was the
single biggest gain
from Doha.The
Conference
hasexplicitly
recognized that the
action of parties will
be based on equity
and CBDR including
the need forequitable
access to sustainable
development. The
decisionshave also
avoided quantitative
target for global
emissions reduction
or global peaking that
could place a cap on
emissions of
developing countries
and restrict their
development space.
Amongst the key
concerns which the
Conference could not
address are those
relating to financing
commitments of
developed countries,
sectoral actions and
the issue of
compensation for loss
and damage arising
from climate
change.While the
Conference stopped
short of giving a
mandate to the ICAO
or IMO to initiate
steps for curtailing
emissions in the
respective sectors, the
absence of a decision
on sectoral
framework for such
actions has left the
open the possibility of
such actions being
initiated in such
sectors by the
respective
international
organisations on their
own.
The Conference could
not take ambitious or
meaningful decisions
on financing
commitments of
developed countries.
No specific targets for
mid-term financing
(2013-2020) were
adopted resentment
amongst developing
countries.The work
programme on long
term finance has been
extended with a view
to continue discussion
on sources of likely
finance in the long
term. The Standing
Committee (on
Finance) of the
Convention has been
entrusted with the
task of recommending
suitable arrangements
for accountability of
and reporting on its
functions by the
Green Climate Fund
to the Conference of
Parties. Despite
pitched demand from
vulnerable countries,
there could beno
satisfactory
agreement on
compensation
mechanism for loss
and damage resulting
from climate change.
At Doha, the work of
the Durban Platform
(DP) set up last year
for devising the
post-2020
arrangements
progressed
satisfactorily. In a
significant and
positive advance, it
has been agreed that
the work of the
Durban Platform will
be based on the
principles of the
Convention. A Plan of
Work has been agreed
for 2013. The ADP will
call for parties’
submissions to be
presented by March
2013 on ‘vision’ of the
post-2020
arrangements as well
as ‘ambition’for
raising the global
efforts aimed at
reducing emissions in
the pre-2020 period.
The ADP will organize
a series of workshops
as part of its work
next year with a view
to finalize a text for
2015 Agreement by
the end of 2014. As
announced by the UN
Secretary General, the
decision recognizes
the possibility of
holding a meeting of
Heads of
Governments and
States in 2015 to
finalize the
Agreement