The UNFCCC Ad Hoc Working Group on Further Commitments for Annex I Parties under the Kyoto Protocol (AWG-KP) published documents which are to help parties prepare to the meeting of UNFCCC in Barcelona (which is being held at the beginning of the November) and facilitate the work on new international agreement on climate change.

One of the most interesting paper that was presented is that which indicates the proposition of several developing countries for individual reduction targets for Annex I countries of UNFCCC (the document is available here).

All the documents can be found on the UNFCCC website.

However below we show also very interesting table presenting the official reduction commitments from Annex I countries which were already published in different formal plans and statements.

Regards,
Anthony

The weekly informal negotiations of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Bonn (Germany) regarding the future post-Kyoto agreement ended on Friday 14th of August 2009. Taking into consideration that participants didn’t reach a considerable progress during this meeting more fears come up among experts and observers that new international agreement related to climate changes will not be signed in December in Copenhagen.

What is important the Chief of UNFCCC, Yvo de Boer, said during the press conference at the end of the Bonn meeting that “if we work in such pace we won’t be able to reach an agreement”.

He highlighted that there are 15 days of negotiations left before the meeting in capital of Denmark i.e. meeting in Bankok in September and in Barcelona in November.

Jonathan Pershing, negotiator from United States was also disappointed of the results during Bonn informal meeting saying that without compromise the ambitious agreement will be impossible.

Some of the attendees expressed their opinion that in December the negotiations will conduct to sign an general agreement but without any significant reduction targets and important commitments and detailed measures regarding the fight against climate changes.

During the consecutive meeting in Bonn participants worked on shortening the negotiation text (we wrote about it in June). However the document has still more than 200 pages.

The next official UNFCCC meeting will be held in Bankok which starts on the 28th of September.

Regards,
Anthony

According to results presented by Australian Department of Climate Change emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) rose by 1,1% in 2008 compared to year 2007. However this increase is not influencing on the target from Kyoto Protocol (it is 8% increase in GHG emissions, yes increase, in period 2008-2012 comparing with 1990 levels). Australia is on good road to meet it although in case that the government will implement climate measure that will help to mitigate this rise in coming years.

Personally I’m not afraid about little rise in GHG emissions in Australia in 2008 (however they are 7% above the levels from 1990, and they have ‘track-record’ of average 1,5% increase in three consecutive years). This statement ‘is backed’, in my opinion, by intensive activities and declarations of Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to implement an emission trading scheme in his country starting from 2011. Preliminary plans informed about 2010, but Australian government would like to wait amongst others for outcomes of December’s Conference of the Parties in Copenhagen. Kevin Rudd said even that if developed countries show some ambitious commitments there he would opt for more rigorous targets in emission scheme (even 25% in 2020 below 2000 levels, now the draft project includes 5 to 15% target).

I hope that the increases in GHG emissions are an ‘accident’ and the future will come with some spectacular reductions in Australia regarding this aspect.

It is important as Australia ratified the Kyoto Protocol very late (in December 2007, during Conference of the Parties in Bali) and they need to show their efforts in fight against global warming.

Regards,
Anthony