Day 2: Report from Reed Smith Delegates in Copenhagen at the United Nations Climate Change Conference
This post was written by Jennifer Smokelin.
Here in Copenhagen, it’s not just what you know and who you know but what you are called. In addition to the government negotiating teams, the delegates are categorized by acronyms: BINGOs, RINGOs, ENGOs, YUNGOs, and several others. As delegates for the Environmental Markets Association, my colleague Larry Demase and I are BINGOs: Business and Industry Non-Governmental Organizations. (RINGOs are Research-oriented and Independent NGO, ENGOs are Environmental NGOs and YOUNGOs are Youth NGOs). In addition to observing the negotiations, these additional groups organize side events and daily briefings with negotiators to ensure that all key issues are considered and addressed in the climate negotiations.
And to follow the climate negotiations, there are a few more acronyms to learn. In 2007, the Conference of the Parties adopted the Bali Action Plan and Bali Roadmap. The key negotiating groups under the Bali Action Plan and Roadmap are the Ad Hoc Working Group on Long-Term Cooperative Action under the Climate Convention (AWG-LCA) and the Ad Hoc Working Group on Further Commitments for Annex I Parties under the Kyoto Protocol (AWG-KP). The names for both groups are fairly self-explanatory. The AWG-LCA focuses on long-term cooperation including mitigation, adaptation, finance and technology/capacity-building. The AWG-KP focuses on emission reductions by Annex I countries (i.e., developed countries) beyond 2012. The road for both of these groups is supposed to end with reports for the larger Conference of the Parties (COP-15) to consider in Copenhagen at the end of this week.
In today’s AWG-LCA briefing to non-governmental groups, Chair Michael Zammit Cutajar (Malta) strongly stated that the press had “misrepresented” some issues and clarified that the Kyoto Protocol does not expire in 2012. He stressed that the objective of the AWG-LCA and the larger COP-15 is not to “kill” the Kyoto Protocol. To be sure, the Kyoto Protocol will not expire in 2012. In 2012, Annex I countries must have fulfilled their obligations of reduction of greenhouse gases emissions established for the first commitment period (2008-2012) listed in Annex B of the Protocol. The target agreed upon was an average reduction of 5.2% from 1990 levels by the year 2012.
Under the Bali Action Plan, which mandates an “agreed outcome” in Copenhagen, the AWG-LCA Chair predictably stated his “hope” for COP-15 was a “strong substantive outcome” related to the long term goals of the climate convention.
Over at the AWG-KP briefing to NGOs, Chair John Ashe (Antigua and Barbuda) stated that his group’s job was to revise Annex B (revisions to target and timetables for emission reduction commitments) to the Kyoto Protocol. Curiously, this would include revised commitments without the United States since the United States has not ratified and has evidenced no intention of ratifying the Kyoto Protocol.
What does this mean? If both groups accomplish these stated goals, then what would come out of Copenhagen is the Kyoto Protocol with revised commitments in Annex B, a “strong substantive agreement” on long term goals, and no greenhouse gas emission limits for the United States. So what does this really mean? Well, tune in tomorrow after negotiators talk in the corridors, meet informally with each other, and discuss negotiations with BINGOs, ENGOs, RINGOs and the other acronym-heavy constituencies.
