Bonn, 14 August 2009 

... But negotiations have yet to pick up speed. 

A week-long informal negotiating session toward a new global response to climate change concluded in Bonn Friday. The consultations, attended by around 2400 participants, were part of a series of UNFCCC gatherings this year designed to culminate in an ambitious and effective international climate change deal in Copenhagen in December.

The Copenhagen outcome is to follow on the first phase of the Kyoto Protocol, which expires at the end of 2012.

“At this meeting, only limited progress was made, although governments did get down to some practicalities in the areas of adaptation, technology and capacity building,” said Yvo de Boer, Executive Secretary of the UN Climate Change Secretariat. “So with only 15 days of negotiating time left before Copenhagen, negotiations will need to considerably pick up speed for the world to achieve a successful result at Copenhagen,” he added.

Whilst some progress in Bonn was made in narrowing down options in the negotiating text, governments also discussed technical issues such as how mid-term (2020) emission reduction pledges of industrialised countries could be translated into legally binding targets as a key component of the Copenhagen deal.

“Industrialised countries need to show a greater level of ambition in agreeing to meaningful mid-term emission reduction targets. The present level of ambition can be raised domestically and by making use of international cooperation,” the UN’s top climate change official said.” “We also need a clear indication of the finance and technology industrialised countries are ready to provide to help developing countries green their economic growth and adapt to the impacts of climate change.”

“In the context of the G8 and Major Economies Forum, I see a group of countries considering actions that would allow them to profit from the boom in clean technology,” said Yvo de Boer. “The question is how all nations can profit from this development. Poorer countries risk being left by the wayside without access to technology and finance. International cooperation needs to provide them with the means to enable them to green their economies and to adapt to the inevitable effects of climate change. In order for that support to be financed, I believe that countries need to be more specific about what they want supported and how,” he added.

Following the meeting in Bonn, work on the negotiating text will continue on 28 September in Bangkok at a two-week negotiating session. Delegates will then assemble for five days of pre-Copenhagen negotiations in Barcelona 2 November.

A major opportunity for all Heads of State and Government of the world to provide clear political guidance to negotiators ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen will be The UN Secretary-General’s Climate Change Summit for world leaders 22 September in New York. The New York meeting will assemble Heads of State and Government  from all 192 Parties to the UNFCCC.

Further upcoming UNFCCC meetings

Bangkok Climate Change Negotiations 2009. 9th session of the AWG-KP and 7th session of the AWG-LCA – Monday, 28 September to Friday, 9 October 2009 United Nations Conference Centre (UNCC) of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), Bangkok, Thailand. Full media facilities and numerous press conferences. No side events (due to space limitations).

Barcelona Climate Change Negotiations. Resumed Seventh session of the AWG-LCA and resumed Ninth session of the AWG-KP – 2 to 6 November 2009  Barcelona, Spain, Fira Barcelona. Full media facilities, around 100 side events.

United Nations Climate Change Conference Copenhagen. COP 15 and CMP 5 – 7 to 8 December 2009, Bella Center, Copenhagen, Denmark. Numerous press conferences, more than 200 side events.

Ends --