May 2014: The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)/International Energy Agency (IEA) Climate Change Expert Group (CCXG) has published a paper, titled “Built to Last: Designing a Flexible and Durable 2015 Climate Change Agreement.”

This paper considers options for the design of a “flexible and durable” climate change agreement, noting that parties to the UNFCCC are currently negotiating a new climate change agreement that is expected to be adopted in 2015 and enter into force in 2020. It explains that the agreement needs to be: “durable” so that it is ambitious, fair and effective when it comes into effect in 2020 and continues to be so even in the face of new scientific information and structural changes after 2020; and “flexible” so that it encourages broad participation and remains effective and relevant over time.

The paper focuses on the agreement’s mitigation elements. It outlines options for consultations and updating mitigation contributions, which would help ensure the flexibility of the agreement. It also examines possible structures for the agreement and the implications of different mitigation contribution types, which would influence the agreement’s durability.

The paper underlines the need for balancing: flexibility in responding to future changes and external shocks; predictability of required actions; and the collective level of ambition. [Publication: Built to Last: Designing a Flexible and Durable 2015 Climate Change Agreement]