13 August 2012: The UNFCCC released the workshop report (FCCC/AWGLCA/2012/INF.1) on quantified economy-wide emission reduction targets by developed countries. The report contains a summary of the workshop presentations and the exchanges of views held.

The objective of the workshop, which took place in Bonn, Germany, on 17 May 2012, was to facilitate the understanding of quantified economy-wide emission reduction targets by developed countries, and was the third workshop held for this purpose. The meeting, organized by the UNFCCC Secretariat during the first part of the 15th session of the Ad Hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action under the Convention (AWG-LCA), addressed: the clarification of the nature and level of the targets; assumptions and conditions associated with the targets; commonalities and differences of approach in measuring the progress towards the targets; comparability of emission reduction efforts by developed countries, and options and ways to increase the level of ambition of the pledges; relevant policies and measures to support the targets, and experience with low-emission development strategies; and possible ways forward.

Presentations were made by seven parties and a representative of a group of parties, which were based on their respective targets as contained in document FCCC/SB/2011/INF.1/Rev.1, information contained in additional submissions by parties, and new information, particularly in relation to further clarification of the targets and new developments in policies and measures.

The report highlights that presentations and discussions illustrated a variety of ways in which assumptions and conditions are formulated and evaluated. It also underlines some participants’ views on the lack of clarity from developed countries on whether the conditions associated with some of their higher possible targets have been satisfied and whether they are ready to move to the higher range of the targets. The document also underscores that most developed parties clarified their intentions to make use of carbon credits from market-based mechanisms to attain their targets, viewed as cost-effective supplementary measures.

On a possible way forward, participants suggested continuation of the process of clarification of the targets by organizing further workshops, making parties’ submissions, and conducting further analytical work by the Secretariat using parties’ inputs. Parties proposed to further update and elaborate the technical paper contained in document FCCC/TP/2012/2 by strengthening the analysis of the comparability of the levels of emission reduction efforts based on the same metrics. [Publication: Workshop Report]