COP9
Ministerial Round Table 1
Climate Change, Adaptation, Mitigation
and Sustainable Development
Context
• The conclusions of
the TAR indicate clearly that the negative impacts of CC are already
in action in our world, particularly in developing
countries, the most vulnerable to CC.
• This explains why developing countries are so concerned about adaptation
to already unavoidable impacts of CC. This concern has not yet been given
the urgent attention it deserves.
• These impacts undermine the enormous efforts put by developing countries
to achieve their sustainable development.
• Annex I countries emissions continue to grow at an alarming rate despite
their Commitments under the Convention.
• Many developing countries are implementing mitigation strategies in their
development plans, despite their low emissions level
Achievements under the Convention
• Limited progress has
been made in the implementation of art 4.8 and 4.9 of the convention
since its entry in force
• Funds created under Marrakech Accords meant to deal with adaptation,
are not yet operational
• Through their national communications, developing countries have shown
their commitment to contribute to the ultimate objective of the Convention,
putting efforts into mitigation.
• Very limited efforts to mitigate GHG emissions have been made by some
Annex I Parties; the main tools to achieve the ultimate objective of
the Convention, particularly the KP, seem to be resisted.
• Most of developing countries have ratified the KP showing their willingness
to help Annex I countries to fulfill their emission reduction commitments.
Expectations
• Strong support to
developing countries, particularly the most vulnerable ones, with technology
transfer, capacity building and additional
financing, to cope with the negative impacts of Climate Change.
• A recognition of adaptation as a priority for developing countries and
an urgent start of action, notably implementation of the NAPAs
• Early entry into force of the Kyoto Protocol
• Consideration to be given to the negative impacts of the implementation
of response measures on concerned developing countries with support to
be provided to these countries in diversifying their economies.
• A global move of the world towards Sustainable Development.
G77 & China
COP9
Ministerial Round Table 2
Technology, including technology use and
development and transfer of technologies
Context
To achieve the objective of the Convention both for mitigating the
effects of greenhouse gases emissions and for adapting to climate change,
we require technology use and development, and rapid and widespread
transfer of environmentally sound technologies (EST). These needs are
particularly crucial for developing countries, which are adversely
affected by climate change. However, as indicated by the various technical
papers tabled during this Conference, not much progress has been done.
Hopes for accelerated transfer and diffusion of EST has remained largely
unfulfilled. Most government equated transfer of technology with commercialization
citing private sector domain and IPR as the main reasons for such a
failure. As such, developing countries continue to be lacking in scientific
capacity to generate scientific inventions and produce technological
innovations and to adapt and absorb technologies.
Achievements under the Convention
The Convention recognized that transfer of technologies is the basic
element for developing country Parties to meet their commitments. This
is clearly stipulated under Article 4.7 of the Convention. To facilitate
such transfer, the Convention under Article 4.3 and 4.5 provides the
necessary guidance for Annex II countries to carry out their commitments
to ensure that transfer of technologies is carried out.
In this regard, the UNFCCC Reporting Guidelines contain a mandatory
requirement for Annex II Parties to provide information on technology
transfer activities including activities for financing access by developing
countries to soft and hard environmentally sound technologies.
We are therefore pleased that COP 7 has set up the Expert Group of
Technology Transfer to examine the effective means for transferring
technologies. We are also pleased that many developing country Parties
have already done their technology needs assessments.
Expectations
Although we have seen some progress in this area, we believed that
there are many more things that need and can be done to ensure faster
rate of transfer of technologies in particular adaptation and mitigation
technologies. Among them are:
i. providing financial support to meet the full incremental cost of
implementing all the technology needs identified by non- Annex I Parties,
ii. disseminating information regarding existing EST,
iii. establishing concrete programs such as joint research, access
to and development of technology;
iv. providing incentives to the private sectors in developed country
Parties to facilitate the transfer of technologies;
v. innovative financing of development and transfer of technologies;
vi. promotion of indigenous technologies ;and
vii encourage the south-south cooperation in the transfer of technologies.
COP9
Ministerial Round Table 3
Assessment of Progress in the national, regional and international levels
to fulfill the promise and the objective enshrined in the climate change
agreements, including the scientific, information, policy and financial
aspects
Context
• The promise enshrined in the climate change agreements is the achievement
of the ultimate objective of the United Nations Framework Convention
on Climate Change in the context of sustainable development, and based
on the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities.
• The G77 and China have clearly demonstrated their willingness to fulfill
the promise and objectives enshrined in the climate change agreements.
• The vast majority of their members have ratified the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol.
• According to Article 4.7 of the Convention, the extent to which developing
country Parties will effectively implement their commitments under
the Convention will depend on the effective implementation by developed country
Parties of their commitments under the Convention related to financial
resources and transfer of technology and will take fully into account
that economic and social development and poverty eradication are the
first and overriding priorities of the developing country Parties.
• The Clean Development Mechanism has opened important possibilities for
strengthening international cooperation, fostering capacity building
in developing countries and creating a significant incentive for the
ratification of the Kyoto Protocol. Achievements
under the Convention
• At the policy level, several initiatives have been taken and programs
put in place to address climate change in areas such as energy efficiency
and technologies, cleaner technologies, waste management and land
use.
• As regards to information, important efforts have been made by G77 and
China members in the areas of education, training and public awareness.
Through the process of elaborating the national communications to
the Convention, developing countries are providing relevant information
referring to emissions of greenhouse gases by sources and removals by sinks,
as
well as steps taken to implement the Convention.
•
On the scientific side, coordinated actions have been taken in the areas
of research and systematic observation and climate modeling, contributing
to an improved understanding of climate change and its impacts. To the
extent possible, developing countries’ experts have progressively
increased their participation in the work of the Subsidiary Body
for Scientific and Technological Advice of the Convention and the
Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change. Expectations
Noting that the largest share of historical and current global emissions
of greenhouse gases has originated in developed countries, that per
capita emissions in developing countries are still relatively low and
that the share of global emissions originating in developing countries
will grow to meet their social and development needs, the main expectations
of countries from G77 and China are as follows:
• In order for developing countries to progress in their efforts to address
climate change and adapt to the impact of response measures, including
economic diversification, there needs to be a significant increase
in the efforts by the developed country Parties in the transfer of financial
resources and technology, as well as the development of capacity building
and institutions, in fulfillment of their commitments under the Convention.
• There is an urgent need to allow a greater space for the participation
of developing countries in the scientific efforts do address climate
change. Difficulties are particularly visible in the context of the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, where literature in languages other
than English
is not given due consideration, and the participation of experts from
developing countries is still very limited.
• In order to advance in the provision of information referring to climate
change, support for the preparation of national communications by developing
countries needs to be improved, through simplification of procedures
and increase of financial resources provided by the Global Environment
Facility. Improvements are also necessary in the areas of methodology
and data provision
• The failure of some countries to ratify the Kyoto Protocol has so far
prevented it from entering into force, to the detriment of the international
regime for climate protection. G77 and China urge countries that have
not yet ratified the Kyoto Protocol to do so in a timely manner.
|