The European Commission has launched a Communication, titled “The 2015 Climate Change Agreement: Shaping International Climate Policy Beyond 2020,” which kick starts a public consultation on how to design the 2015 Climate Agreement being negotiated through the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action (ADP) under the UNFCCC.
26 March 2013: The European Commission has launched a Communication, titled “The 2015 Climate Change Agreement: Shaping International Climate Policy Beyond 2020,” which kick starts a public consultation on how to design the 2015 Climate Agreement being negotiated through the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action (ADP) under the UNFCCC.
The Communication, which will serve as the basis of the consultation, outlines: the need for more ambitious action on climate change; the state of play, challenges and opportunities for international climate policy in the period 2020-2030; foundations of the 2015 Agreement; and possible design the 2015 agreement.
Among challenges, the Communication identifies: enabling the necessary ambition for reducing global emissions; enabling the contribution of all major economies and all sectors in the mitigation effort; and mainstreaming climate change and the mutual reinforcement of processes and initiatives.
The online consultation will take place until 26 June and will include a stakeholder conference, to take place on 17 April 2013, in Brussels, Belgium. The consultation aims to address: how to ensure sustainable economic development while encouraging countries to do their equitable and fair share of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions to meet the below 2°C objective; how to best ensure contribution of all major economies and sectors and minimize potential carbon leakage; how to effectively mainstream climate change in all relevant policy areas; what criteria should guide determination of an equitable distribution of mitigation commitments; what should be the role of the 2015 agreement in addressing the adaptation challenge; what should be the future role of UNFCCC and of the 2015 agreement up to 2030 with respect to climate finance; how could the UNFCCC negotiating process be improved to support reaching an inclusive, ambitious and effective 2015 agreement; and how can the EU best invest in and support processes and initiatives outside the UNFCCC to pave the way for a 2015 agreement. [European Commission Press Release] [DG Climate Action Press Release on the Consultation] [DG Climate Action Press Release on the Stakeholder Conference] [Publication: The 2015 International Climate Change Agreement – Shaping International Climate Policy Beyond 2020 – Consultative Communication] [Commission Staff Working Document Accompanying the Document] [European Commission 2015 International Agreement Webpage] [Consultation Webpage]