28 November-9 December Climate Change Conference Durban, South Africa

National Adaptation Plans

At the thirty-fifth session of the SBI, Parties considered modalities and guidelines for the national adaptation plan (NAP) process and the Conference of the Parties (COP) adopted a decision to this effect. The COP, inter alia:

• Invited Parties, relevant organizations, entities and agencies to provide information on support related to NAPs;
• Requested the preparation of synthesis reports by the secretariat;
• Requested the collection and compilation of information by the secretariat;
• Requested the drawing up, and review, of technical guidelines by the Least Developed Countries Expert Group (LEG);
• Requested consideration of guidance on policies and programmes to enable support for the NAP process for the Least Developed Countries (LDCs), by the Subsidiary body for Implementation (SBI);
• Requested and invited support for national adaptation planning for non-LDC developing countries by the Adaptation Committee and the operating entities of the financial mechanism of the Convention respectively;
• Requested the monitoring and evaluation of progress made on the NAP process, by the SBI;
• Decided to undertake a stocktaking of the guidelines at COP 19.

Work programme to consider approaches to address loss and damage

At the thirty-fifth session of the SBI, Parties considered further activities to be undertaken in the period up to COP 18. The outcomes of the workshop on risk management approaches to the adverse effects of climate change provided useful inputs into the implementation of the work programme on loss and damage. Parties agreed:

• To address issues related to the thematic area 1 (assessing risk and knowledge) at the expert meeting to be held before SBI 36 (May 2012)
• To prepare a technical paper to feed into the above expert meeting
• To organize four expert meetings, three at the regional level and one for small island developing States before SBI 37 (December 2012), to address issues related to the thematic area 2 (range of approaches to address loss and damage)
• To prepare a technical paper on slow onset event, taking into consideration the outcomes of the above regional expert meetings
• To conduct a literature review of existing information and case studies on the topics in the context of the thematic area 2
• To invite Parties and relevant organizations and other stakeholders to submit views and information on the possible elements to be included in the recommendations on loss and damage in accordance with decision 1/CP.16

Parties also invited organizations to provide financial and technical support for the implementation of the activities of the work programme.

For additional details see the  decision adopted by COP 17.

Adaptation Committee

At the fourth part of the fourteenth session of the AWG-LCA, Parties agreed on the composition of, and modalities and procedures for, the  Adaptation Committee. In addition, they defined linkages with other institutions under and outside the Convention and agreed on an indicative list of activities for the Committee to consider when developing its workplan.

1-7 October: 2011 Climate Change Conference Panama City, Panama

Adaptation Committee

At the third part of the fourteenth session of the AWG-LCA, Parties, based on the facilitator's note from Bonn, focused their discussions on modalities and activities of the Adaptation Committee. Following additional inputs from Parties and groups of Parties, Parties engaged in an intense drafting exercise and agreed to forward to the fourth part of AWG-LCA 14 in Durban a draft decision text, which would serve as the basis for finalizing negotiations on making the Adaptation Committee operational.

6-17 June: 2011 Climate Change Conference Bonn, Germany

National Adaptation Plans

At the thirty-fourth session of the SBI, Parties considered national adaptation plans. The SBI requested the secretariat to explore the possibility of convening an expert meeting with experts from Parties and relevant organizations, the LEG, and relevant stakeholders to: 

• Identify and discuss elements and deliverables of the process to enable LDC Parties to formulate and implement NAPs, building upon their experience in preparing and implementing NAPAs;
• Elaborate draft modalities and guidelines for LDC Parties and other developing country Parties to  employ the modalities formulated to support national adaptation plans.

The expert meeting took place in Lao PDR from 15-17 September 2011. The report is contained in document FCCC/SBI/2011/12.

The SBI also invited Parties and relevant organizations to submit to the secretariat their views, by 15 August 2011, on the following:

• The process to enable LDC Parties to formulate and implement NAPs, building upon their experience in preparing and implementing NAPAs;
• The modalities and guidelines for LDC Parties and other developing country Parties to employ the modalities formulated to support NAPs. 

Submissions from Parties and IGOs are contained in document FCCC/SBI/2011/MISC.7 and the synthesis report is contained in document FCCC/SBI/2011/13.

The SBI decided to consider all of the above at its thirty-fifth session, with a view to making recommendations to COP 17.

Work programme to consider approaches to address loss and damage

At SBI 34, Parties considered activities to be undertaken under the work programme, taking into account submissions (Views from Parties and IGOs and from NGOs) and a synthesis report. Following two weeks of negotiations, the SBI noted the importance of addressing the following thematic areas in the implementation of the work programme:

• Assessing the risk of loss and damage associated with the adverse effects of climate change and the current knowledge on the same; 
• A range of approaches to address loss and damage associated with the adverse effects of climate change, including impacts related to extreme weather events and slow onset events, taking into consideration experience at all levels; 
• The role of the Convention in enhancing the implementation of approaches to address loss and damage associated with the adverse effects of climate change.

Furthermore, to enhance understanding of the three thematic areas, the SBI:

• Invited Parties and relevant organizations to submit to the secretariat, by 15 August 2011, further views and information (Submissions from Parties and IGOs are included in Misc.8 and Add.1 and the Synthesis report)
• Requested the Secretariat to explore the possibility of convening an expert meeting before SBI 36 with experts nominated by Parties, relevant organizations and other stakeholders.

The SBI agreed to continue to further elaborate on the details of the broad thematic areas, including on additional activities, at its subsequent sessions, as appropriate, with a view to generating a knowledge base for making recommendations on loss and damage to COP 18. (For additional details see the loss and damage conclusions. Please note that paragraph 7 was amended in plenary).  

On 7 June the secretariat, under the guidance of the Chair of the SBI, organized a side event in order to provide an opportunity to inform Parties on the state of current knowledge, expertise and potential for support from relevant organizations to address loss and damage associated with climate change impacts.

Adaptation Committee

At the second part of the fourteenth session of the AWG-LCA, Parties began their discussions on the Adaptation Committee in earnest and considered issues such as operational and organizational modalities and procedures; composition, expertise and terms of office for members, links with insitutions and bodies under and outside the Convention. Following two weeks of discussions, Parties agreed to forward to the third part of AWG-LCA 14 a note by the Facilitator containing a draft decision text, which would serve as a basis for negotiations.

5-8 April: 2011 Climate Change Conference Bangkok, Thailand

Adaptation Committee

At the first part of the fourteenth session of the AWG-LCA, Parties had before them views ( Misc 1, Add.1 and Add.2) and a synthesis report on the proposed composition, modalities, procedures and linkages of the Adaptation Committee in order for them to develop a draft decision on the Adaptation Committee to be adopted at the 2011 Climate Change Conference in Durban, South Africa.   

 29 November-10 December: 2010 Climate Change Conference Cancun, Mexico    

Parties adopted the Cancun Adaptation Framework (CAF) as part of the Cancun Agreements at the 2010 Climate Change Conference in Cancun, Mexico (COP 16/ CMP 6). In the Agreements, Parties affirmed that adaptation must be addressed with the same level of priority as mitigation. The CAF was the result of three years of negotiations on adaptation under the AWG-LCA that followed the adoption of the Bali Action Plan (BAP) at the 2007 Climate Change Conference in Bali, Indonesia (COP 13/ CMP 3). The BAP sought to enable the full, effective and sustained implementation of the Convention through long-term cooperative action, now, up to and beyond 2012.

As agreed by Parties, enhanced action and international cooperation on adaptation is urgently required to enable and support the implementation of adaptation actions aimed at reducing vulnerability and building resilience in developing country Parties, taking into account the urgent and immediate needs of those developing countries that are particularly vulnerable. Parties as part of the CAF:  

• Initiated a process to enable LDC Parties - building upon their experience with the NAPAs - to formulate and implement National Adaptation Plans and extended an invitation to other developing country Parties to employ the modalities formulated to support those plans;
• Established a work programme to consider Approaches to address loss and Damage associated with climate change impacts in developing countries that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change;
• Established an Adaptation Committee to promote the implementation of enhanced actions on adaptation in a coherent manner under the Convention.