Turning the precarious balance into a robust tool to drive greater ambition

After a warm and sunny week in Bonn, key details needed to implement Article 6 remain in the shadows. Reconciling multiple Article 6 texts from Katowice and paving the way to complete this element of the ‘rule book’, will be a key focus for the upcoming second week of negotiations. This work is critical in providing the certainty, clarity and integrity needed for the private sector and global community to have confidence in Article 6, and for it to be used to unlock greater ambition.

In this post, I take a brief look at key events from week one and review progress on Article 6. 

Article 6

This conference marks the 50th sessions of the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI) and the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) of the UNFCCC. After the opening of SBSTA 50, parties quickly reached a sticking point over how to navigate Article 6 issues under parallel transparency framework discussions. Heads of Delegations met on Tuesday to resolve divergent views about how to proceed, and agreed to “de-prioritise” Article 6 discussions under the parallel transparency framework work-stream. Content with the compromise, parties moved to develop a list of Article 6 issues (or ‘clusters’) requiring further work.

A non-exhaustive list of 15 clusters has been identified across all three of the Article 6 mechanisms. Some of these items are technical and need time to work through (eg: accounting) and a number are familiar topics from COP24 (and before), including, for example:

• whether and how Kyoto Protocol mechanisms, projects, methodologies and units transition under the Paris Agreement; 
• whether share of proceeds measures apply to Article 6.2; and
• governance and oversight of specific sub-mechanisms or for the item as a whole.

The sequence in which outstanding issues are discussed and resolved is important, as some items (for example governance of a centralised mechanism under Article 6.4), will be informed by the nature and scope of elements of that mechanism. Since Wednesday 19 June parties have been discussing the list of outstanding issues and how they might reconcile the COP24 Presidency texts and SBSTA texts for each of Article 6.2, 6.4 and 6.8.

Interesting discussion took place about whether the internationally transferred mitigation outcomes (ITMOs) under Article 6.2 should include ‘emissions avoidance’ (as distinct from emissions reductions and emissions removals). Some parties want the ability to generate ITMOs from emissions avoidance associated with activities beyond those previously accepted (eg: avoided deforestation), to those associated with activities such as the avoided burning of fossil fuels. Other parties take the view that ITMOs need to involve positive action, and emissions avoidance should not be included. It will be interesting to see how parties resolve this issue and whether further work on safeguards might help unlock a compromise.

At this stage, a good outcome from SBSTA 50 would be a new iteration of each text for Articles 6.2, 6.4 and 6.8, capturing discussions from parties on the outstanding issues identified and consolidating the COP24 Presidency and SBSTA texts. Such a tool will be critical in helping to frame outstanding issues and options to negotiate at COP25. Completing the Article 6 negotiations at COP25 in Santiago, Chile, in December 2019 is important for business and stakeholder certainty. However, it is also important to ensure that other pieces of the Paris Agreement, such as the transparency framework work program, remain in operational sequence (due to interlinking aspects) and are ready to serve the Agreement. 

Other discussions and events to note

Koronivia joint work on agriculture

The second workshop of the Koronivia Joint Work on Agriculture occurred early in the week. Participants considered: 

• methods and approaches for assessing adaptation, adaptation co-benefits, and resilience; and 
• improved soil carbon, soil heath and soil fertility under grassland and cropland, as well as integrated systems including water management. 

This included discussion about adaptation indicators and linking national adaptation plans under the Paris Agreement to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Gender was an appropriate discussion point in these workshops, as presentations indicated that the majority of the world’s food is grown by women. 

Participants exchanged views on adaptation strategies for food security and climate change resilience. At COP 25 in Chile the work stream will consider enhanced nutrient use and manure management. 

IPCC

The SBSTA has resumed discussions unresolved in Katowice about whether to “welcome” or “note” the Special Report on 1.5°C of Global Warming, completed by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. During the first week in Bonn parties achieved a ‘gentle-persons’ agreement’ that the agenda item would be dropped if the issue was not resolved by Wednesday 26 June. It appears unlikely the issue will be resolved, with some parties using the sessions to criticise the report and blocking attempts by other parties to cause the co-chairs to prepare decision text for consideration.

Technical implementation of the Paris Agreement

The Katowice Climate Package agreed most elements of the Paris Agreement ‘rule book’ and also set a direction for further technical work to be undertaken. This includes further dialogue on common timeframes for nationally determined contributions (NDCs), and practical measures such as transparency framework reporting methods and content. 

The agenda for parties on these matters includes items such as common reporting formats for national inventories, and tracking related to mitigation and support both provided and received. Some of the transparency elements link with Article 6 and these elements will be de-prioritised so as not to prejudice the outcomes of Article 6 negotiations.

It will be interesting to see how discussions progress this week. Temperatures are rising outside the venue (high 30s forecast this week), here's hoping cool heads prevail inside.

~ Emily