The Cancun Agreements
An assessment by the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
key steps of the United Nations Climate Change Conference
Financial, technology and capacity-building support The financial, technology and capacity-building support agreed in Cancun applies to both mitigation and adaptation actions by developing countries. The details of these cross-cutting elements of the agreement follow: In order to strengthen technology development and transfer, Governments decided to establish a Technology Mechanism, which will be accountable to the COP. Governments agreed that the Technology Mechanism should be fully operational in 2012.
The mechanism includes a Technology Executive Committee (TEC), which will strengthen the development and deployment of new technologies, as well as strive to increase public and private investment in technology development and transfer. The TEC will hold its first meetings in the course of 2011.
The TEC will also assist in providing an overview of needs for the development and transfer of technologies for mitigation and adaptation. Additionally, it will recommend policies and actions to boost technology cooperation.
The Technology Mechanism also includes a Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN) to facilitate national, regional, sectoral and international technology networks, organizations and initiatives. The CTCN will aim to mobilize and enhance global clean technology capabilities, provide direct assistance to developing countries, and facilitate prompt action on the deployment of existing technologies. Furthermore, the centre will encourage collaboration with the private and public sectors, as well as with academic and research institutions, to develop and transfer emerging technologies to the best effect. Further work on the relationship between these new institutions, their governance and links with the financial mechanism are needed in 2011.
A new Technology Mechanism, accountable to the COP, to be fully operational in 2012.
February 2011
21
21-02-2011
Parties submitted to the secretariat by 21 February 2011 their views on the composition of, and modalities and procedures for, the Adaptation Committee, including on proposed linkages with other relevant institutional arrangements.
March 2011
28
28-03-2011
Parties submitted to the secretariat by 28 March 2011 their views on guidelines for strengthened reporting. Industrialized countries will boost the regular reporting of progress towards economy-wide emission reduction targets by submitting detailed annual inventories of greenhouse gas emissions and by reporting on progress in emission reductions every two years.
Developing countries will also increase reporting of progress towards their mitigation objectives, although in a differentiated way to that of industrialized countries. A process of international consultation and analysis of these biennial reports will be established.
Parties submitted to the secretariat by 28 March 2011 their views on guidelines for matching actions and support, reporting, international consultation and analysis, as well as for measurement, reporting and verification.
April 2011
28
28-04-2011
The first meeting of the Transitional Committee took place from 28-29 April 2011 in Mexico City, Mexico.
In order to scale up the provision of long-term financing for developing countries, Governments at COP 16 in Cancun decided to establish a Green Climate Fund. A Transitional Committee of forty members, selected by Parties to the UNFCCC, will design the details of the new fund.
May 2011
01
01-05-2011
Developed country Parties are invited to submit to the secretariat by 1 May 2011 information on the provision of new and additional resources approaching USD 30 billion for the period 2010-2012, including ways in which developing country Parties can access these resources.
July 2011
14
14-07-2011
The second meeting of the Transitional Committee for the design of the Green Climate Fund, held from 13-14 July in Tokyo, Japan, concluded with an agreed work plan.
September 2011
03
03-09-2011
The first meeting of the Technology Executive Committee, held from 1-3 September in Bonn, Germany, made important progress.
The Technology Executive Committee (TEC) is the policy component of the Technology Mechanism. The TEC has a central role in further strengthening international strategies to support technology cooperation, and to catalyze the adoption of policies at the national level to support technology deployment.
11
11-09-2011
The third meeting of the Transitional Committee for the design of the Green Climate Fund took place from 11-13 September 2011 in Geneva, Switzerland, with solid progress made on the design of the Fund.
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