2 September 2009: The UNFCCC Secretariat has released an advance version of the provisional agenda (FCCC/SBSTA/2009/4) for the 31st session of Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA 31), which will be held in Copenhagen from 7-18 December 2009, in order to assist delegations in preparing for the session.

The exact dates within the session have yet to be confirmed. Items on the agenda include: Nairobi Work Programme on impacts, vulnerability and adaptation to climate change; development and transfer of technologies; reducing emissions from deforestation in developing countries: approaches to stimulate action; research and systematic observation; methodological issues under the Convention: annual report on the technical review of greenhouse gas inventories from parties included in Annex I to the Convention; and emissions from fuel used for international aviation and maritime transport. Methodological issues to be considered under the Kyoto Protocol include: implications of the establishment of new hydrochlorofluorocarbon-22 (HCFC-22) facilities seeking to obtain certified emission reductions for the destruction of hydrofluorocarbon-23 (HFC-23); carbon dioxide capture and storage in geological formations as Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) project activities; common metrics to calculate the CO2 equivalence of greenhouse gases; and matters relating to Article 2, paragraph 3, of the Kyoto Protocol. [The Document]