Governments Begin Bonn Talks to Discuss Climate Action

Governments Begin Bonn Talks to Discuss Options Towards 2015
Global Climate Agreement and How to Drive Climate Action

(Bonn, 29 April 2013) – The latest round of climate talks under the UN
Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) kicked off in Bonn today,
against a background of steeply rising global greenhouse gas emissions and
a growing sense of urgency to take action to stave off the worst effects of
climate change.

The meeting, the “Second session of the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Durban
Platform for Enhanced Action” (ADP 2, 29 April to 3 May), is designed to
discuss options towards the 2015 global climate agreement and how to
accelerate and catalyze existing climate action.

Last week, the daily CO2 level measured at the Mauna Loa Observatory in
Hawaii stood at 399.72 parts per million. Speaking at the opening of the
meeting, Christiana Figueres, the Executive Secretary of the UN Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) said:

“We are just about to cross the 400 parts per million threshold, hence this
conference meets in a heightened sense of urgency. We must meet the
deadlines set by the UNFCCC's Conference of the Parties. The ADP working
group has already used one third of the time allocated, so we must use the
remaining time wisely.”

At the UN Climate Change Conference in Doha last year (COP 18), governments
reiterated their commitment to achieve a new global framework in 2015. They
also reaffirmed their commitment to step up efforts to close the gap
between what has been pledged so far and what science says is required for
the world to stay below the agreed maximum 2 degrees Celsius temperature
rise, well before the new agreement enters into force from 2020.

“We are confident that this session will allow the ADP to identify the
main contours of the elements of the agreement, what the agreement needs to
achieve as a part of the overall result of the UN Climate Change Conference
in 2015; and also to identify very pr actical ways to increase ambition
inspired by the efforts government are all making at the national level.
And we are confident it will allow us to identify how efforts from all
stakeholders and the international community can help us all do more in
order to close the ambition gap,” said ADP Co-Chairs Jayant Moreshver
Mauskar and Harald Dovland in a joint opening statement.

Delegates meeting in Bonn will discuss existing options for effective
climate action, such as exemplary climate legislation, emissions trading,
and how the accelerated deployment of renewable energies can curb
greenhouse gas emissions; and see how this fits both into the design of the
new agreement and how such options can be translated into immediate action.

“We need to be creative, constructive and willing to come forward with
actions, initiatives and new proposals for how national governments,
cities, private sector and civil society and international initiatives can
do more, faster,” said UNFCCC Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres. “And
we need to be able to showcase our successes and further opportunities in
bridging the emissions gap at the UN Climate Change Conference in Warsaw at
the end of this year,” she said.

At a special interactive event on 2 May, ADP Co-Chairs Jayant Moreshver
Mauskar and Harald Dovland will hear proposals from observer organizations
on the 2015 agreement and on the question of pre-2020 ambition at a key
question and answer session. Observers not physically present in the room
will be able to participate virtually via webcast and Twitter.

Media will be able to both follow live webcasts of all sessions and attend
the closing plenary 3 May in the World Conference Center in Bonn. Closing
press conferences will be held on 3 May at the UN “Langer Eugen” building.
UNFCCC Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres will give a closing press
briefing at 13:15 that day.

ENDS

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