AOSIS proposal for focus on renewable energy welcomed

Need for integrated approach to adaptation and mitigation raised; parties call for Warsaw COP to address finance

 
By Uthra Radhakrishnan
Published: Tuesday 11 June 2013

session of the ADP in progress

At the ADP sessions of the ongoing Bonn climate change conference, Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) has put forward a technical proposal on enhancing ambition in the pre-2020 work stream. It calls for a closer look at how renewable energy and energy efficiency can be scaled up and should be the focus of discussions under this work stream along with looking at proposals on carbon, capture and storage.

AOSIS PROPOSAL
 
  • Call for submission by mid/late September on specific Renewable Energy (RE), Energy Efficiency (EE) and Carbon, Capture and Storage (CCS) policies, measures and technologies that can provide new and additional emission reductions
  • Emphasis on emissions reductions achievable, barriers to implementation, strategies to overcome those barriers including finance and technology transfer by developed countries to developing countries
  • A technical paper to be prepared by October
  • Based in this, technical workshops in early days of COP 19 that invites all stakeholders to attend
  • Ministerial roundtable on enhancing mitigation ambition - consideration of options following up on the technical workshops
 
According to the negotiator from Nauru who spoke on behalf of AOSIS, “Accelerating the process for connecting proposed technologies and proposals, and renewable energy and energy efficiency will serve to build mutual confidence and also favour those who are most proactive. While this may not close the mitigation gap, it is still a good starting point.” He further clarified and made it clear that this work would be guided by the principles of the Convention and be firmly embedded in the ADP. Many parties have supported this proposal but some had concerns.

The Philippines were concerned that the proposal was focused only on mitigation and not on adaptation. According to Philippine negotiator Benarditas Mueller, “This is focused only on mitigation and only on energy in particular. Adaptation and mitigation are interlinked and must be approached in a comprehensive integrated manner. Mitigation can only be enhanced if adaptation is carried out in a simultaneous manner. Many are speaking of changed circumstances. Yes, it has changed but what has changed is climate change here and now. We can’t wait around till mitigation benefits are felt and we have to do adaptation alongside mitigation.”

China which earlier presented on how the ambition gap should primarily be addressed by developed countries, said “Closing the gap [to stay on a 2-degree pathway by 2020] is a comprehensive process and cannot be just mitigation. But speaking of mitigation, this gap should be closed by Annex-I parties by increasing their pledges to 40% below 1990 levels in accordance with what the report of the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) suggests.” Speaking for G77 and China, the negotiator said the upcoming nineteenth Conference of the Parties (COP19) at Warsaw should be a finance COP.  “Short-term finance should be materialised in Warsaw and for the 100 billion dollars promised by developed countries, we need to have a concrete timeline,” he said.

Mali welcomed the AOSIS proposal but said the call for submissions should not be limited to specific sectors. All proposals should be there. Similar to what China had suggested, the Mali negotiator said that means of implementation which includes finance, technology transfer and capacity building should be the focus of a ministerial roundtable that parties are calling for at COP19. He added that his concern was that means of implementation needs to be discussed in parallel and mitigation cannot be discussed in a vacuum.





 

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