The Convention and its Kyoto Protocol commit Parties to minimize adverse economic, social and environmental impacts on developing countries when responding to climate change.  Response measures are referred to in Article 4.8 of the Convention and in Articles 2.3 and 3.14 of the Kyoto Protocol.

The Bali Action Plan also stresses the need to consider the economic and social consequences of response measures when addressing enhanced national/international action on climate change mitigation.

The impact of the implementation of response measures generally refers to negative side effects resulting from the implementation of climate change mitigation activites. In Article 4.8 of the convention, addressing the impact of the implementation of response measures is referred to in conjunction with responding to the adverse effects of climate change. The latter refers to implementing adaptation action.

Parties elaborated in Decision 1/CP.10 (2004), which built on Decision 5/CP.7 (2001), ways to address the impact of the implementation of response measures as referred to in Article 4.8 of the Convention and Articles 2.3 and 3.14 of the Kyoto Protocol. See Chronology for full details of negotiations on this issue.

At SB 28, June 2008, Parties agreed to progress the implementation of decision 1/CP.10 and agreed on a set of specific activities up to COP 14 (December 2008) in Poznan, Poland to address the impact of the implementation of response measures, article 4.8, decisions 5/CP.7 and 1/CP.10. These include:

• Enhancing practical approaches to address economic diversification in the context of sustainable development
• Enhancing capacity for the development and use of modelling in the context of assessing the impacy of the implementation of response measures
• Encouraging Parties to provide information on their experiences and concerns arising from the impact of the implementation of response measures
• Promoting risk management approaches and other appropriate responses

Document FCCC/SBI/2008/L.12 provides the full text for the set of conclusions proposed by the chair at SB 28.

During the meeting consideration was taken of submissions by Parties on the status of implementation of Article 4.8 and decisions 5/CP.7 and 1/CP.10 (FCCC/SBI/2008/MISC.4).

A breakthrough by Parties to negotiate Articles 2.3 and 3.14 of the Kyoto Protocol was also reached at SB28, June 2008. Parties agreed to establish a joint contact group to consider matters relating to Articles 2.3 and 3.14. The group will commence its work at the twenty-ninth session of the Subsidiary Bodies (December 2008). See FCCC/SBSTA/2008/6 (agenda item 11) and FCCC/SBI/2008/8 (agenda item 10). 

Further ongoing issues

As part of Decision 1/CP.10 (the Buenos Aires programme of work), expert meetings have discussed a range of issues regarding the impact of the implementation of response measures.

At CMP 1 in Montreal, Parties decided to establish a process for the implementation of Article 3.14 of the Kyoto Protocol. This process included the exchange of information and the development of methodologies on the assessment and minimization of adverse social, environmental and economic impacts on developing country Parties. A workshop in 2006 discussed reporting methodologies. Parties have yet to decide on guidelines to help determine if developed countries are striving to minimize adverse effects on international trade, and social, environmental and economic impacts on other Parties, especially developing countries.