A Possible Paris Agreement from the Geneva Negotiating Text by Katia Vladimirova
Pitch
This proposal is based on From 90 Pages to 9: A Possible Paris Agreement from the Geneva Negotiating Text? by the NGO Track 0
Description
Summary
This seed proposal is a summary of From 90 Pages to 9: A Possible Paris Agreement from the Geneva Negotiating Text by the non-governmental organization Track O. This summary was created by a Climate CoLab Fellow. We invite other CoLab members to link to this proposal or to use it as a starting point for creating new proposals of their own. Track 0 has not reviewed or endorsed this summary.
In light of the twenty first Conference of Parties (COP21) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), observer organizations and representative of civil society are preparing their inputs to influence the text of an outcome document of the meeting. Independent experts at a not-for-profit organization Track 0 put together a proposal for a possible Paris agreement text (referred to further as the Plan). This Plan is based on Geneva negotiating text (from February 2015), which forms the agreed basis for the upcoming Paris negotiations.
The Plan has a form of a standard international agreement, which authors intentionally leave without a name (as the legal form of the future document is still unclear at this stage). It offers a compilation of options from the Geneva negotiating text, which best reflects the views of the authors.
While the intricacies of this proposal are in the kind of language authors select (out of Geneva negotiating text options) to express their views, this summary is not the place to either reflect on assumptions that authors were guided by, or make normative judgment with regards to the strength of the language selected. Rather, this summary offers a brief overview of choices put forward by authors in some of the above-mentioned parts of the agreement (it covers only sections on substance, not on procedural arrangements).
Thus, with regard to the agreement’s objective, the Plan suggests it is necessary to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by the end of the century in order to limit the global average temperature increase to below 2 °C or 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels. On mitigation, authors propose that each party to the agreement shall take individual efforts at the highest level of ambition to mitigate climate change. However, these commitments shall be communicated and implemented without conditions on support. Least developed countries may implement their commitments at their own discretion. Time frame for mitigation commitments is between 2020 and 2050.
On adaptation, the Plan suggests that parties shall enhance efforts to adapt to the adverse effects of climate change and submit their adaptation commitments to the Secretariat. On loss and damage, authors chose the option of fully operationalizing the Warsaw International Mechanism to serve the agreement. On finance, the text states that all parties commit to phasing out fossil fuel subsidies and bilateral and multilateral international support for high-carbon investments (yet, without indicating any time frame). All Parties in a position to do so should provide new, additional, adequate and predictable financial support to other parties in need, especially LDCs and SIDS, for which procedures for access to funds shall be simplified. On technology development and transfer, the Plan refers to The Technology Mechanism established under UNFCCC, to serve this agreement. On capacity building, The Durban Forum on Capacity-Building shall serve the agreement.
Which plan do you select for China?
Value not set.Which plan do you select for India?
Value not set.Which plan do you select for the United States?
Value not set.Which plan do you select for Europe?
Value not set.Which plan do you select for other developing countries?
Value not set.Which plan do you select for other developed countries?
Value not set.What additional cross-regional proposals are included in your plan, if any?
With regard to transparency of action and support, the Plan suggests to establish a new transparency framework applicable to all parties to track progress of implementation of commitments and enhance transparency and accountability on finance, technology and capacity-building support. This framework shall encompass biennial reporting and technical expert review. For the purpose of facilitating implementation and compliance, the Plan proposes to establish a Compliance Committee, comprising an enforcement branch and a facilitative branch.
One agreement section that is not part of the Geneva negotiating text and was added by Track 0 concerns market mechanism. Authors propose to establish a Market Mechanism Body (with no clearly defined purpose) to replace the Executive Board of the Clean Development Mechanism and the Joint Implementation Supervisory Committee established under the Kyoto Protocol.
How do the regional and cross-sectoral plans above fit together?
Explanation of the emissions scenario calculated in the Impact tab
What are the plan’s key benefits?
What are the plan’s costs?
What are the key challenges to enacting this plan?
Timeline
The Plan suggests that an international climate agreement is to enter into force on January 1 2020. Mitigation commitments shall cover the period from 2020 to 2050. There are no other clear time indications with regard to adaptation commitments.
References
Track 0, From 90 Pages to 9: A Possible Paris Agreement from the Geneva Negotiating Text?
Geneva Negotiating Text, FCCC/ADP/2015/1, 25 February 2015
By:
Katia Vladimirova
