28 April 2016: The UNFCCC Secretariat has published a technical paper titled ‘Guidance to assist developing country Parties to assess the impact of the implementation of response measures, including guidance on modelling tools,’ which explores the approaches available for assessing the impact of the implementation of response measures, with a view to assisting developing countries with such an assessment.

Following an introduction outlining the mandate, scope and approach used, and possible action by the UNFCCC Subsidiary Bodies (SBs), the technical paper provides an overview of the work under the Convention in relation to assessing the impact of the implementation of response measures by providing a synthesis of work under the SBs and a synthesis of information communicated by Parties. The elements of guidance on and approaches to assessing this impact are discussed next, and relevant assessment approaches, including modelling tools, are compiled with a view to providing guidance to developing countries. The paper concludes by outlining the way forward, including key messages and remarks, and possible elements of the work programme of the improved forum on the impact of the implementation of response measures to be undertaken by the SBs.

The paper draws on relevant information found in: reports on the work of the forum on the impact of the implementation of response measures as well as submissions, presentations and statements made by Parties and observer organizations during previous sessions of the Conference of the Parties (COP) and the SBs; national communications (NCs), biennial reports (BRs) and biennial update reports (BURs) submitted by Parties; and sources published by international organizations and research institutions.

The paper includes three annexes on: modelling tools available for assessing the impact of the implementation of response measures; example of using a computable general equilibrium model to assess the impact of the implementation of response measures; and sources of data for use by developing countries in macroeconomic models.

Under the international climate regime, in the implementation of their commitments, UNFCCC Parties shall take into full consideration the specific needs and concerns of developing countries arising from the impact of the implementation of response measures, and strive to minimize adverse economic, social and environmental impacts on other Parties, especially developing countries.

At its 21st session, the COP decided to improve the forum on the impact of the implementation of response measures, which had convened since 2010, to provide a platform for Parties to share, in an interactive manner, information, experiences, case studies, best practices and views, and to facilitate assessment and analysis of the impact of the implementation of response measures, with a view to recommending specific actions. The COP also adopted the work programme to implement the improved forum. During the SBs’ 44th session that will take place in Bonn, Germany, from 16-26 May 2016, the Chairs of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) and Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI) are expected to convene the improved forum to implement the work programme. [Guidance to assist developing country Parties to assess the impact of the implementation of response measures, including guidance on modelling tools] [UNFCCC Response Measures Webpage] [SBSTA 44 Provisional Annotated Agenda] [SBI Provisional Annotated Agenda]