The annual 12-day intersessional talks (June 3-14) towards a new global climate agreement wrapped up in Bonn with largely disappointing results for least developed countries (LDC), of which Nepal happens to be the current Chair. Due to Russia’s unhappiness over the way the Doha agreement was gaveled through by the Chair despite its objections, the main working group—the Subsidiary Body on Implementation (SBI)—could not even agree on the agenda, and collapsed altogether.
The planned discussion in the SBI was critical, especially for LDCs and Alliance of Small States (AOSIS). Among other things, it was supposed to discuss the institutional mechanism of the Loss and Damage provision agreed on in Doha to compensate highly vulnerable least developed and developing countries that cannot deal with climate impacts through adaptation alone. The other item on the agenda was to review if the world should lower the UN target of keeping global temperature rise to below 1.5 degrees centigrade from the current 2 degrees. Nepal supports global temperature rise below 1.5 degrees. So the message from Bonn for Nepal is: The challenge is huge, but there is more work at home. [break]
2015 agreement
Despite the above setback, the UNFCCC General Secretary closed the Bonn session by saying that “we are encouraged by the progress made…” But he also laid down the list of work for the parties to accomplish in the ministerial conference in Warsaw in November. Nepal, speaking as LDC chair in the wrap-up session, is reported to have called for “… more focused negotiations; the adoption of an effective protocol in 2015 that provides, inter alia, enhanced action on adaptation, a mechanism on loss and damage, and financial support” which indicates that LDC’s expectations were not met.
The Bonn talks made encouraging progress in two other important discussion frameworks—the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Durban Platform (ADP) and Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice—most importantly on key topics such as Equity, Mitigation Targets, Reducing Emission from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+), Agriculture, and Climate Finance. For LDCs such as Nepal, under the new global climate agreement (to be signed in 2015 and made binding from 2020 onwards) significantly stepped-up, transparent, monitorable and verifiable progress has to be made, both in adaptation and mitigation.
Since all countries have to set their own mitigation targets in the build up to the new agreement, Nepal has to make greater effort in securing additional finance, technologies, and capacity building support from developed countries for enhanced Adaptation actions. At the same time it should also start implementing result-based mitigation programs. Also, as LDC chair, Nepal needs to provide strong leadership to ensure that the LDCs’ key demands and interests such as greater mitigation ambition by Annex 1 countries, stepped-up commitment for financial and technical support, and clear mechanism for Loss and Damage are enshrined in the 2015 agreement. For Nepal there is yet another challenge: making sure that the interests of mountain countries are also enshrined in the new agreement, which was missing in the deliberations in Bonn.
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How Nepal’s Climate negotiators will chart their path from Bonn to Warsaw to Lima and finally to Paris in 2015 to achieve an inclusive agreement in 2015, while at the same time doing justice to Nepal’s leadership and safeguarding her national interests, will be of interest to all stakeholders. Such an important task will need wider discussion among all stakeholders and clear policy setting at the highest level. One hopes that the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment (MoSTE) is cognizant of this challenge and has a reliable plan up its sleeve.
Some of the key challenges for Nepal are: a) Sustaining global efforts to ensure higher commitment to mitigation and finance, b) Ensuring adequate fund for adaption in the new financial architecture including Green Climate Fund, c) Pushing for a clear mechanism for Loss and Damage, d) Preparing national mitigation reference level and indicators for Equity Reference Framework, and e) Exemplary cases of enhanced national adaptation, mitigation and resilience building efforts demonstrating Nepal’s commitment and responsibility to the global community.
Job-to-do
For Nepal, there seems to be more work at home than abroad in the next two years, because in the deliberations in Bonn, Parties have made it clear that “principles of the Convention (UNFCCC) will apply” in future climate talks. The key elements of these principles are to achieve the convention goal of keeping the global temperature rise to below 2 degrees. Parties have agreed to the principle of Common but Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities (CBDRRC); while developed countries and emerging economies should significantly enhance their mitigation ambition, all countries have rights to sustainable development (SD). Therefore, Nepal is better placed if it can come up with its own CBDRRC and SD frameworks early on.
Developing its national emission reference levels and national adaptation plans (NAPs) are other important steps for Nepal. This is because for the 2015 agreement all countries need to fix their contribution in mitigation based on the principles of equity, which will be peer-reviewed by other parties. Nepal should accelerate its already successful work on renewable energy promotion and REDD+ with a promise to enhance energy efficiency and security to all, especially poor and marginalized communities, and to reduce deforestation and forest degradation, ensuring conservation and poverty reduction.
These enhanced ambition related actions in mitigation and adaptation have to be demonstrated starting in 2014 itself, which means Nepal has to quickly improve implementation of ongoing and future climate-change related projects, and showcase its ongoing clean energy, REDD+ and adaption programs in Warsaw and beyond. Since the internationally accepted principles of ‘transparency and accountability’ are likely to be applied, all submissions by Nepal must stand the scrutiny of professional peer reviewers and parties. Therefore, Nepal has to do its homework to strengthen its technical, financial and coordinating institutions.
Agriculture and forestry sectors are receiving increasing attention in Climate debate as areas that can enhance mitigation efforts. Nepal has much to gain by preparing its national REDD+ implementation plan (that includes national MRV system, social safeguard provisions etc) and climate-smart agriculture plan that ensures low carbon technologies and solutions. In Warsaw, global finance experts are likely to discuss how to mobilize the US $100 billion dollar fund to be made available for enhanced mitigation and adaption actions, especially in developing countries. This is prime agenda for the LDCs, and Nepal should demonstrate effective leadership to ensure that at least 50 percent funds are allocated to adaptation.
To sum up, Nepal needs to make more effective efforts by mobilizing all resources—scientific, technical, institutional, and professional—so that it can lead the LDCs as an example and strongly advocate its position. The government should make sure that MoSTE fulfills its responsibility with necessary support and coordination from other government organs, CSOs, media, private sector and development partners.
The author, a PhD in Forestry from Michigan State University, is a member of Nepal’s Climate Change Council
Karki.madhav@gmail.com
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