Outcome of the Bonn Climate Change Talks, 2-13 June
The Bonn Talks included the second major session this year on a strengthened international climate change
agreement to be finalized in December 2009 in Copenhagen.
As agreed at the previous session of Climate Change Talks in Bangkok, all five elements of the negotiations -
adaptation, mitigation, technology, finance and a shared vision for long-term cooperative action - were
discussed under the Convention at the Bonn session. more
Pictures
Opening meeting of the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI)
Participants discussing between sessions
Press Service
New video and mp4 file here
13 June
UNFCCC Executive Secretary Yvo de Boer addressing the media at the closing press conference
on the final day of the Talks Download as
Podcast
Summing up the Talks at the closing press conference, UNFCCC Executive Secretary, Yvo de Boer, said
Parties had called for proposals which would enable them to deliver on the four key elements of an
agreed outcome in Copenhagen: mitigation, adaptation, technology and finance. But with negotiating
time up to 2009 running short, he urged that “proposals need to become more
targeted.”
Mr. de Boer spoke of real progress having been made in implementing action on adaptation to climate
change. He also expressed the hope that developed countries would announce voluntary contributions to
the Kyoto Protocol’s Adaptation Fund at the Climate Change Conference in Poznan in December.
The agreement to scale up practical technology transfer efforts was also welcomed by Mr. de Boer, but
he cautioned that “a larger advance in technology cooperation will be crucial for the
success of a Copenhagen agreement.”
“The road ahead is daunting,” he said. While acknowledging the
commitment of many countries to reach an agreed outcome in Copenhagen, he stressed that
“it is crucial that the next meetings produce concrete negotiating
texts.”
2 June
UNFCCC Executive Secretary Yvo de Boer speaking at the opening press conference on the first day of
the Talks Download as
Podcast
At the opening press conference, UNFCCC Executive Secretary, Yvo de Boer, outlined the main issues
under discussion, including adaptation to climate change, the development and transfer of technology,
reduced emissions from deforestation, and finance.
A critical issue, he said, would be financial engineering: “How to generate sufficient
financial resources that will drive the technology into the market that allows developing countries
to act, both to limit their emissions and to adapt to the impacts of climate change.”
Mr. de Boer explained that both the group negotiating an enhanced long-term response to climate
change, and the group discussing further commitments for Parties to the Kyoto Protocol beyond 2012,
were continuing their work in Bonn. Both sets of negotiations are set to conclude in Copenhagen at
the end of 2009.
“The world is expecting a Copenhagen deal to reach the goal set by science without
harming the economy. Parties will need to make real progress towards this goal,” he
said.
FCCC/AWGLCA/2008/7
Scenario note on the second session. Note by the Chair.
FCCC/SBSTA/2008/1 Provisional agenda and annotations. Note by the Executive Secretary.
FCCC/SBI/2008/1 Provisional agenda and annotations. Note by the Executive Secretary.
Note: At the twenty-seventh session of the SBI there was no consensus to
include on the agenda the item "National communications from Parties not included in Annex I to
the Convention: Information contained in national communications from Parties not included in Annex I
to the Convention". It was therefore held in abeyance. On a proposal by the Chair, the SBI decided
to include this item on the provisional agenda of its twenty-eighth session.
FCCC/KP/AWG/2008/1 Provisional
agenda and annotations. Note by the Executive Secretary.
FCCC/AWGLCA/2008/4
Provisional agenda and annotations. Note by the Executive Secretary.
In-session workshops and roundtables
SBSTA
6 June
A workshop on the Fourth Assessment Report (AR4) of the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) will take place on Friday, June 6 in room Reger. This
workshop has been organized by the secretariat following a request by the SBSTA. Experts from the three
working groups of the IPCC will be giving presentations on the findings of the AR4.
The general objectives, focus and structure of the workshops are presented in the Information note (132 kB) prepared by the secretariat under the guidance of the
Chair of AWG-LCA in order to facilitate active and concrete contributions by Parties to the workshops:
2-3 June
Workshop on advancing adaptation through finance and technology, including national adaptation
programmes of action more information
3 June
Workshop on effective mechanisms and enhanced means for the removal of obstacles to, and provision of
financial and other incentives for, scaling up of the development and transfer of technology to
developing country Parties in order to promote access to affordable environmentally sound technologies;
and ways to accelerate deployment, diffusion and transfer of affordable environmentally sound
technologies more information
5 June
Workshop on investment and financial flows to address climate change more information
Bali Conference
The Conference, hosted by the Government of Indonesia, took place at the Bali International Convention Centre
and brought together more than 10,000 participants, including representatives of over 180 countries together
with observers from intergovernmental and nongovernmental organizations and the media. The conference
culminated in the adoption of the Bali Road Map, which consists of a number of forward-looking
decisions that represent the various tracks that are essential to reaching a secure climate future. All Reports of the Bali Conference available