15 November 2017: The UN Climate Change Conference in Bonn, Germany, continued on Wednesday, 15 November. The joint high-level segment (HLS) opened. Closing plenaries resumed for the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) and the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI). The closing plenary of the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Paris Agreement (APA) convened. Contact groups and informal consultations under the Conference of the Parties (COP) and the COP serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP) convened during the day.

COP 23 President Frank Bainimarama, Prime Minister, Fiji, opened the HLS. Stressing that the climate change threat is real, urgent and “growing overnight,” Timoci Naulusala, a 12-year old student from Fiji, asked attendees: “Are you ready to face life without Earth?” Bainimarama appealed to Parties to remain focused on a successful outcome from COP 23, and reported agreement on the proposed COP agenda item on the acceleration of implementation of pre-2020 commitments and actions and increasing pre-2020 ambition. UN Secretary-General António Guterres said that if big infrastructure projects “are not green they should not be given the green light,” and urged donor countries to bring the Green Climate Fund (GCF) to life. German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said that the multilateral structure is indispensable for a peaceful and sustainable future.

“Are you ready to face life without Earth?” Timoci Naulusala, a 12-year old student from Fiji, asked participants at the high level segment.

During the APA plenary, APA Co-Chair Sarah Baashan, Saudi Arabia, invited Parties to consider the draft conclusions on several agenda items, noting that, given the lack of consensus on the African Group’s proposal relating to modalities for Agreement Article 9.5 (ex ante finance transparency), the Co-Chairs would include the proposal in their oral report to the COP. The African Group stressed that the COP Presidency had pledged to undertake consultations with all Parties on Article 9.5 and requested that plenary adjourn until consultations completed, with South Africa noting that conclusions require consensus to be adopted. Other developing country groups supported suspending the meeting. The Umbrella Group and the EU opposed adjourning the meeting. Following informal consultations to further address the African Group’s proposal, the plenary resumed. The African Group reported that informal consultations among the G-77/China had produced two options, but that time constraints did not allow for engagement with other Parties. The COP 23 Presidency will continue consultations to find a way forward and the APA plenary was suspended until “later in the week.”

During the SBI closing plenary, Ukraine, supported by the US and Australia, said that the SBI’s previous consideration of the report on national greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory data from Annex I Parties neglected to note that double counting occurred when data were reported by two countries from areas that he said were “illegally annexed.” On the election of officers other than the Chair, Naser Moghaddasi, Iran, will serve as Vice-Chair for the Asia-Pacific region and Tuğba İçmeli, Turkey, will serve as Rapporteur.

The SBI then adopted various conclusions and draft decisions on, inter alia: the Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage associated with Climate Change Impacts (WIM); national adaptation plans (NAPs); response measures; report of the Adaptation Committee; and matters related to Least Developed Countries (LDCs), with Timor-Leste and Mauritania underscoring the lack of financial resources in the LDC Fund, which can leave proposals for national adaptation programmes of action (NAPA) implementation unfunded.

No agreement was reached on the review and functions of the Standing Committee on Finance (SCF), and the COP 23 Presidency will allocate time for this issue.

During the SBSTA plenary, various conclusions and draft decisions were adopted on, inter alia: the WIM; development and transfer of technologies; response measures; and matters relating to Paris Agreement Article 6 (cooperative approaches). Regarding the local communities and indigenous peoples platform, on which conclusions and a draft decision were adopted, the Indigenous Peoples Forum on Climate Change requested voluntary financial support to help facilitate the platform’s full operationalization. The EU, Costa Rica, Australia, Canada and Brazil welcomed the operationalization of the platform, with the EU indicating readiness to consider establishing a facilitative working group, and Costa Rica asking for balanced representation at the first multi-stakeholder workshop. Closing the session, the SBSTA Chair noted landmark decisions on agriculture and on the local communities and indigenous peoples platform. [Fiji/Bonn Highlights: Tuesday, 15 November 2017] [IISD RS Coverage of COP 23]

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IISD Reporting Services is producing the Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB), providing coverage of the negotiations. This Daily Update brings you the highlights.