Blog
UN Climate Change Conference Concludes
Blog
November 26, 2013
UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP) 19, held in Warsaw, Poland, concluded on Saturday, November 23. The conference did not result in any binding agreement on GHG emissions reductions, but the parties continued to make progress towards the ultimate goal of finalizing a global climate change agreement in 2015. Decisions adopted by COP 19 include:
- A framework for developing countries to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (Redd+), which accounts for approximately 1/5th of human-generated GHG emissions. The Redd+ framework is supported by $280 million in pledged financing from the U.S., Norway, and the UK.
- An international mechanism for loss and damage associated with climate change impacts such as severe weather events and rising sea levels.
- Commitments by developed nations to contribute towards public climate finance to support actions by developing nations.
- An invitation for all parties prepared to provide post-2020 GHG emissions reduction targets to submit clear and transparent emissions reduction targets well in advance of COP 21, and by the first quarter of 2015.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon has invited government and business leaders to a solution-oriented climate summit in New York in September 2014, as a complement to the UN climate negotiations. The next Conference of the Parties is scheduled for December 1-12, 2014 in Lima, Peru.
This entry has been created for information and planning purposes. It is not intended to be, nor should it be substituted for, legal advice, which turns on specific facts.