8 December 2015: Negotiations advanced on the draft outcome of COP 21, with minister-led informal consultations, bilaterals and party-led breakout groups under the “Comité de Paris” on: support: MOI (finance, technology and capacity building); acceleration of pre-2020 action (workstream 2, excluding pre-2020 finance); adaptation, and loss and damage; differentiation, in particular with regard to mitigation, finance and transparency; ambition, including long-term goals and periodic review; facilitating implementation and compliance; preamble; forests; cooperative mechanisms; and response measures.

Ministers reported from indabas, bilaterals and other consultations that: most Parties are willing to reflect a 1.5°C limit in global temperature rise over pre-industrial levels in the purpose of the agreement, with accompanying provisions related to sustainable development, means of implementation (MOI), equity and food security; the two options identified on a global mitigation goal are a goal with quantitative elements for different time periods, and a long-term qualitative goal; and there is support for a comprehensive and facilitative global stocktake, and a five-year cycle for successive communications.

On support/MOI, progress was reported on post-2020 finance. On capacity building, agreement was reported on a Paris capacity-building committee and an understanding on a long-term work programme on capacity building. On adaptation, and loss and damage, “landing zones” were identified on: a clear goal for adaptation, with a link to Convention Article 2 (objective); recognition of the link between mitigation and adaptation; and a communication process that is flexible and does not further burden developing countries.

Co-facilitators highlighted cross-cutting issues needing resolution, including references to a temperature goal, vulnerability and the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities (CBDR). On loss and damage, they noted the lack of convergence on institutional arrangements. On mechanisms to support sustainable development, some Parties stressed that such mechanisms need to be durable over time, while others said they should not be part of the agreement. On differentiation, co-facilitators noted that “parties are not yet ready to place their final positions on the table.” [IISD RS Coverage of COP 21]

The Rio Convention Pavilion convened as ‘Day of Action’ hosted by the UN Development Programme (UNDP). The day opened with a session titled ‘Adapting from the Ground Up: A New Perspective on Private Sector Engagement and Resilience,’ where participants heard a keynote speech from Helen Clark, UNDP Administrator, which was followed by a panel discussions on: the role of micro and small enterprises (MSEs) in agriculture, public-private partnerships (PPPs), and regional cooperation; aggregating finance for low-carbon energy; and strengthening climate policies through the UNFCCC’ s reporting tools. [IISD RS Coverage of Rio Conventions Pavilion]

The event, titled ‘Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs): Implications, Prospects and Africa’s Readiness to Contribute to Solutions,’ organized by the Africa Pavilion, stressed the need to: look beyond multilateral financing mechanisms and find innovative instruments that can be undertaken bilaterally or in concert with multiple development partners to enable quick implementation of INDCs; link INDCs with national adaptation plans as well as climate investment plans; and bring banking sectors in a position to provide climate finance so that local farmers can access the investment they need to implement their initiatives. The event ‘Advancing Low Carbon Development in the West African Region’ addressed the tools needed to make sure public policies encompass energy and energy decentralization and whether there is tension between low-carbon energy and energy security. During an event on ‘Building Resilience to Climate Change in African SIDS: Implementation of the S.A.M.O.A. Pathway,’ panelists urged involving the private sector so that it understands the value of meteorological information and suggested engaging with the insurance and reinsurance industries and the energy and agricultural sectors. At an event on ‘Climate-proofing Africa’s Long-term Assets: Presenting the Africa Climate Resilient Investment Facility,’ panelists said that climate proofing current and future infrastructure in Africa is crucial and that investing in such infrastructure will prove cost effective in the long run while simultaneously ensuring economic and social benefits. [IISD RS Coverage of Africa Pavilion]

Many side events took place around the COP 21 venue. ‘Growth, the Driver of Climate Change Action’ addressed urban transportation projects, legal mechanisms and their role in the transition towards low-carbon economies, and divestment. During an event on ‘Financing the Demonstration and Deployment of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) in Developing Countries,’ participants discussed: national policies in developed countries compard to policies in developing countries, legal settings and long-term liability issues, and utilization in addition to storage regarding CCS. At an event on ‘Women and Climate,’ participants addressed the role of men in the gender and climate movement, and women’s access to education and training opportunities. At ‘The Business Case for Carbon Neutral Cities,’ panelists noted the need for supporting national government policies and legislation to support the transition to district energy, and stressed the need for funding for local governments in developing countries to enable implementation.The event ‘Clean Energy Ministerial – Implementation and Increasing Ambition Beyond Paris’ addressed fusion energy, the role of energy efficiency in addressing climate change, and biofuels.

The event titled ‘Global Carbon Budget 2015′ addressed the role of sectorial emissions, equity questions underlying emission reductions, and the feasibility of a global carbon budget. During an event on ‘Looking Forward: REDD+ Post 2015,’ panelists called for the halting of deforestation, as the quickest and largest climate change mitigation measure available. At an event on ‘Aviation Carbon-Neutral Growth (CNG2020): Working Towards a Global Market-Based Measure for Aviation at the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO),’ participants considered problems with long-term reliance on offsetting and allocation of rights to sell emissions reductions. The event ‘Credibility of National Actions and INDCs: Worldwide Legislative and Policy Developments’ considered the politics of asking people to change their behaviour, highlighting that actual and perceived credibility is fundamental to give people confidence to invest in climate change at the necessary scale. Panelists also noted that the credibility of national climate policies is not only determined by their INDC, but also by legislative coherence, transparent and inclusive decision-making, dedicated public bodies, and track record of delivering previous climate change commitments. [IISD RS Coverage of Side Events] [IISD RS Coverage of Paris Climate Change Conference]