26 November 2009: The UNFCCC Secretariat has published the scenario note (FCCC/AWGLCA/2009/16) for the eighth session of the Ad Hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action under the Convention (AWG-LCA 8).
AWG-LCA 8 will take place from 7-15 December 2009, in Copenhagen, Denmark, in conjunction with the 15th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP). In the scenario note, the AWG-LCA Chair provides an assessment of the state of negotiations under the Bali Action Plan (BAP). The material basis for the remaining work includes the texts compiled at the end of AWG-LCA 7, as annexed to its report to facilitate negotiations at AWG-LCA 8. The Chair notes that the features of possible final texts in the work under way on a shared vision, adaptation, technology development and transfer and capacity-building, as well as in the work on financial resources and investment, are now emerging, although less evidently in the latter case, giving rise to the possibility of arriving at final texts in all these areas during the first week of the session. On enhanced action on mitigation, the Chair notes that the work has not produced the same degree of clarity, with proposals by parties addressing more general approaches to mitigation, and issues of consistency with the Convention and the BAP have been raised. Under organization of work, the Chair notes that the AWG-LCA has agreed to carry out its work at the session through one contact group, although informal consultations open to all parties will also be convened. On the outcome of the work of the AWG-LCA, the Chair proposes that the Group should aim to prepare, by the conclusion of its work on 15 December, agreed texts that could constitute a comprehensive and balanced set of COP decisions on all the elements of the BAP for presentation to the COP for its consideration and action. This avenue would be without prejudice to the possible form and legal nature of the agreed outcome to be adopted by the COP.[The Scenario Note]