United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

NEW KEY DOCUMENTS FROM ADP CO-CHAIRS IN ADVANCE OF THE UNFCCC NEGOTIATING SESSION IN OCTOBER

Governments are in the process of negotiating a new universal climate change agreement, which is set to be adopted in Paris in 2015 and enter into effect in 2020. Based on views and proposals from governments, the Co-Chairs of the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action (ADP), the body tasked with the negotiations, have made key material available in advance of the next negotiating session from 20 to 25 October 2014.

The material that Co-Chairs Mr. Kishan Kumarsingh and Mr. Artur Runge-Metzger have published includes a note that reflects on progress made at the previous ADP session, as well as a paper presenting views and proposals of governments on the elements for a draft negotiating text for the 2015 agreement. The material further includes a draft decision on information that governments will provide when they communicate their contributions to the 2015 agreement and a draft decision on continuing important mitigation-related work in the period up to 2020.

The material captures the collective progress that has been made thus far on the road to Paris. It aims to further facilitate the understanding of issues and options on the table.

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In Focus

WMO Report: The escalating impacts of climate-related natural disasters

Natural disasters are occurring nearly five times as often as they were in the 1970s, with both developed and developing countries bearing the burden of repeated floods, droughts and temperature extremes. A new report by the World Meteorological Organization entitled Atlas of Mortality and Economic Losses from Weather, Climate and Water Extremes (1970–2012) compiles information on the number of lives lost or affected and the impact on economies and livelihoods. This can be used to estimate future risks and can support practical measures to reduce potential impacts, such as investing in early warning systems.

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News
	Mandela Day Message to World Leaders: Act on Climate and Poverty 18 July 2014 Today is Mandela Day and his widow Graca Machel and five other prominent campaigners have sent an open letter to world leaders urging them to reach strong agreements in 2015 to address poverty, inequality and climate change. Mandela Day was created under the UN to honour the former South African President on his birthday and to remember his message that we should all take responsibility for making the world a better place, one small step at a time. The letter is from Graca Machel, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, rock singer Bono, Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus, entrepreneur Mo Ibrahim and young Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai. Read letter
	Axel Wüstenhagen, Media Master at the Climate Talks, Passes Away 16 July 2014 Bonn, Germany It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Axel Wüstenhagen who died on 6 July 2014. Axel was known to so many at the annual UN Climate Change Conferences as the calm, respected and always gentlemanly master and manager of the media corps. He was instrumental over the years in scaling climate change communications to meet the needs of the international press during a period in which climate change turned from a specialist subject into a headline concern, a fact that raised the importance of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in the eyes of the world. Read more
	Spirit of Change at Petersberg Climate Dialogue 15 July 2014 Berlin, Germany At the conclusion of the fifth Petersberg Climate Dialogue, co-chaired by Germany and Peru, Federal Environment Minister Barbara Hendricks summed up the positive results: "There is a spirit of change in international climate policy. The message of these last few days is that together we can tame climate change. Many countries are working on new, ambitious climate goals for the global agreement we want to adopt in 2015." Read press release
	Germany Pledges €750 Mln for Green Climate Fund 14 July 2014 Berlin, Germany Addressing environment ministers and UN envoys in Berlin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel stressed her commitment to a tough UN climate change agreement in 2015, promising German and EU leadership over the next 12 months. She also pledged €750 million for the new Green Climate Fund. Read more Read Chancellor Merkel's speech (in German)
	Previous News and Events

Implementation Updates
	CDM Board Agrees Improvements to Stakeholder Consultation 18 July 2014 Bonn, Germany The Executive Board of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) has agreed on rules to better ensure local stakeholders have a say in CDM emission-reduction projects. At its 80th meeting, the Board agreed that stakeholders will have a means to lodge complaints about a project, even after the local stakeholder consultation has been held, that the third-party validators that vet CDM projects must re-examine stakeholders’ comments in the light of any subsequent changes in project design, and that local stakeholder consultation must take place before the real start of the project. More
	Meetings related to the Standing Committee on Finance June 2014 The seventh meeting of the Standing Committee on Finance (SCF) took place from 16-18 June in Bonn. Members deliberated a variety of issues including the first biennial assessment and overview of climate finance flows and the fifth review of the financial mechanism. Following that, the second forum of the SCF convened from 21-22 June in Montego Bay, Jamaica, where over 140 participants had lively discussions on how to mobilize adaptation finance. More on the meeting and the forum.
	Previous Implementation Updates

From the Podium
	Political vision for COP 20/CMP 10 explained by Mr. Manuel Pulgar-Vidal 6 and 7 June 2014 Mr. Manuel Pulgar-Vidal, COP 20/CMP 10 President-Designate outlined the latest updates on the political vision of Peru for the Lima Conference. Read statement at Bureau (22 kB) Read statement at open-ended informal consultations (91 kB)
	COP 19/CMP 9 President and COP 20/CMP 10 President-Designate opened the High-level Ministerial Dialogue on the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action 6 June 2014 The COP 19/CMP 9 President, Mr. Marcin Korolec and COP 20/CMP 10 President-Designate, Mr. Manuel Pulgar-Vidal co-chaired the High-level ministerial round table on the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action to provide political guidance to the process for a strong agreement in 2015 informed by science. More
	COP 19/CMP 9 President and COP 20/CMP 10 President-Designate opened the High-level ministerial round table under the Kyoto Protocol 5 June 2014 The COP 19/CMP 9 President, Mr. Marcin Korolec and COP 20/CMP 10 President-Designate, Mr. Manuel Pulgar-Vidal co-chaired the High-level ministerial round table under the Kyoto Protocol with the goal to assess progress made and the potential for increasing mitigation ambition under the Kyoto Protocol. More
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NEW KEY DOCUMENTS FROM ADP CO-CHAIRS IN ADVANCE OF THE UNFCCC NEGOTIATING SESSION IN OCTOBER