UNFCCC Tracks

COP 15 is set to close four years of negotiations on the follow up to the initial commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol, which expires at the end of 2012.  These discussions have been conducted in two separate negotiation tracks, though they are strongly linked politically.  The negotiations are structured to be combined into a final Copenhagen package.   This package must be brought together by the COP President and the UNFCCC Executive Secretary, along with the chairs of the two Working Group tracks.

COP 15/CMP5

Mandate
The COP is the supreme decision making body of the UNFCCC.  Parties that have also ratfied the Kyoto Protocol meed under the authority of the CMP. The 5th meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP) will occur in conjunction with the COP.

Also convening during COP15 will be the two subsidiary bodies to the Convention, SBI & SBSTA.

President and Chair: Connie Hedegaard, Minister for Climate and Energy of Denmark, will serve as President of both COP 15 &CMP 5.  The COP President plays a critical role in shaping discussions among the 1000s of negotiators in attendance, and along with the Executive Secretary, is quite active in advance of the COP outside the formal negotiations to forge political consensus among governments.

The president’s main duties are to provide political leadership, to consult on issues and to chair meetings of the Bureau and the COP Plenary.  The president is officially elected at the beginning of each COP

Executive Secretary Yvo de Boer, plays a key role in managing the negotiating process throughout the year, supported by the Secretariat staff.

Agenda for COP15/CMP5 here

Kyoto Protocol Track–AWG-KP

Mandate
The AWG-KP was established at COP11 in  Montreal to discuss future commitments for developed countries.

The primary goal of the AWG-KP is to develop new emission reduction targets for developed countries for the period following the first (2008-12) commitment period set forth under the Kyoto Protocol.

In addition, AWGKP was asked to identify means to achieve targets: market mechanisms, national policies, accounting issues, and the role of land use, land-use change and forestry in developed countries (LULUCF)

Deadline: The AWG-KP is set to complete its work in time for Copenhagen, though is mandate does not expire

Chair: The AWG-KP is chaired by Mr. John Ashe, of Antigua & Barbuda

Note: Because the United States is not a party to the Kyoto Protocol, the U.S. participates in the AWG-KP negotiations  as an observer.

Agenda for AWG-KP 10 in Copenhagen here.

Convention Track–AWG-LCA

Mandate
Established under the Bali Action Plan (decision 1/CP.13) under the Convention at COP 13 in Bali, the AWG-LCA was created  to negotiate long-term cooperative action among the parties on how to achieve the objective of the Convention, looking at a range of commitments from all parties to the Convention.

The AWG-LCA was instructed to focus on four key elements of long-term cooperation identified during the Convention Dialogue(2006-07)

  • Mitigation
  • Adaptation
  • Finance
  • Technology
  • REDD

Deadline: the Mandate of the AWGLCA expires at COP15 in Copenhagen.

Chair: The AWG-LCA is chaired by Michael Zammit Cutajar, who was the first Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC.

Background:  UNDP report on key issues under negotiation in the Bali Action Plan.

Agenda for AWG-LCA 8 in Copenhagen here