14 November 2017: The UN Climate Change Conference in Bonn, Germany, continued on Tuesday, 14 November 2017. Informal consultations and contact groups convened under the Conference of the Parties (COP), the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Paris Agreement (APA), the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) and the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI). The APA contact group met to consider all its substantive agenda items, and the closing plenaries of the SBI and SBSTA met, adopting several conclusions and decisions.

During COP informal consultations on long-term finance (LFT), developing countries called for, inter alia, reintroduction of text in the draft decision requesting the Secretariat to assist developing countries in assessing their needs and priorities related to their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). Developed and developing countries diverged on, inter alia, a reference to “recognizing the need for public and grant-based resources for adaptation” in a paragraph on public climate funds. Parties also diverged on the feasibility of requesting a compilation and synthesis of developed countries’ biennial submissions in time to inform the 2018 high-level ministerial dialogue on climate finance. Informal consultations will continue.

During APA informal consultations on adaptation communication, a developed country, supported by two developing country groups, opposed singling out NDCs in the two options for adaptation guidance in the informal note. Many developing countries supported requesting the IPCC to prepare guidelines regarding methodologies and approaches for aggregating data towards a global goal on adaptation. One Party suggested this was beyond the scope of the agenda item.

During APA informal consultations on the global stocktake (GST) and on the Adaptation Fund, Parties agreed to forward revised informal notes to the APA contact group.

During APA informal consultations on the possible additional matter of setting a new collective quantified goal on finance prior to 2025, views diverged on, inter alia, whether work is already undertaken under the COP sub-item on LTF. One developing country proposed the GST discuss the new collective goal. Many developed countries and a developing country group proposed that the COP serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement (CMA) start discussions before 2025, possibly in 2023, and, with another developing country group, stressing the need to incorporate inputs from the Talanoa Dialogue and GST. Two developing countries, in turn, suggested that discussions on the new goal must inform the Dialogue and GST.

The AILAC highlighted the historic adoption of the UNFCCC’s first gender action plan, and emphasized that gender issues in the Global South are a “matter of life and death.”

During the APA contact group, the co-facilitators of informal consultations updated Parties on progress. The contact group then considered the APA Co-Chairs’ proposed draft conclusions. The Environmental Integrity Group (IEG) suggested adding that the APA agrees to focus its further work in the upcoming session on substantive elements of the agreed working areas, which China opposed, saying that this could imply that the APA was not already working on substantive matters. The Umbrella Group opposed an additional APA session in 2018, calling for targeted roundtables on several items, and stressed the need to reach agreement at this session that the outputs will feed into discussions at the next session. The EU said an additional session is unnecessary. The least developed countries (LDCs), the Alliance for Small Island States (AOSIS), Indonesia and China supported an additional session. After a brief suspension, textual amendments were introduced to the draft conclusions specifying, inter alia, that the Co-Chairs’ reflections note would be issued by early April 2018, and noting that additional negotiating time in 2018 might be useful. The APA Co-Chairs said they would convey the divergence of views on the need for an additional session when reporting to the COP. Revised draft conclusions will be taken up in the APA closing plenary.

During SBI informal consultations on review and functions of the Standing Committee on Finance (SCF), Parties considered revised draft conclusions and a draft COP decision. Many developing country groups supported reinserting a paragraph encouraging the SCF to consider ways to enhance its work on issues related to mobilization of climate finance, which was opposed by many developed countries. Many developed countries supported reinserting text on the SCF no longer providing draft guidance to the Green Climate Fund (GCF), with the COP providing guidance instead. The co-facilitators proposed bracketing the text and forwarding it to the SBI Chair for consideration at COP 23. One developed country opposed sending a non-agreed text to the COP. The co-facilitators said they would note lack of agreement to the SBI Chair.

During the SBI closing plenary, delegates agreed to place the compilation and synthesis of second biennial reports on the provisional agenda for SBI 48. The SBI adopted conclusions on, inter alia: the provision of financial and technical support; common time frames for NDCs; a public registry for NDCs; a public registry for adaptation communication; the third review of the Adaptation Fund; and education, training, public awareness, public participation and public access to information to enhance actions under the Paris Agreement on climate change. The SBI also adopted conclusions on gender and climate change, with the Independent Association of Latin America and the Caribbean (AILAC) noting the historic adoption of the UNFCCC’s first gender action plan, and emphasizing that gender issues in the Global South are a “matter of life and death.”

During SBSTA informal consultations on the local communities and indigenous peoples platform, Parties agreed to the platform’s purpose and functions, but not the modalities and structure. Informal informals met throughout the day.

In the SBSTA closing plenary, conclusions were adopted on, inter alia: the technology framework under the Paris Agreement; agriculture; and modalities for the accounting of financial resources provided and mobilized through public interventions in accordance with the Paris Agreement. The SBSTA also adopted a draft decision for consideration by the COP on agriculture.

During joint SBSTA/SBI informal consultations on matters relating to LDCs and the report of the Adaptation Committee, Parties accepted the draft conclusions as presented, and agreed to attach informal notes that include language stating they do not reflect the views of all Parties.

A joint SBSTA/SBI plenary convened to hear statements from groups of countries and observer organizations. Many speakers commended the adoption of the gender action plan. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) welcomed the draft COP decision on agriculture and said the FAO would provide technical inputs and support. Youth NGOs (YOUNGOs) hoped the COP 23 President’s Ocean Pathways initiative could become part of the UNFCCC workplan. Business NGOs (BINGOs) called for more clarity on Paris Agreement Article 6 (cooperative approaches) and broader engagement with business on the Technology Mechanism. [Fiji/Bonn Highlights: Tuesday, 14 November 2017] [IISD RS Coverage of COP 23]

* * *

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