Date: December 12, 2012
The eighteenth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 18) of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the eighth session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP 8) finished successfully on December 7th in Qatar. PLES continued our tradition since COP 15, hosted the seminar of “the Official Arrival of Post Kyoto Era: The eighteenth session of the Conference of the Parties of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.” The seminar was hosted by PLES director Jiunn-rong Yeh with PLES doctoral candidate Nian-Feng Shin reporting the result of COP18. We also invited Professor Wen-Chen Shih of National Chengchi University Department of International Business; Assistant Professor Zi-Lun Lin of National Taiwan University Department of Political Science; Mr. Chia-Wei Chao, Executive Committee of Green Citizens’ Action Alliance; and Mr. Liang-Yi Chang, representative of Taiwan Youth Climate Coalition to discuss the development of climate change negotiation in COP 18, the negotiation progression of the second commitment period of Kyoto Protocol and other possible future development.
Zi-Lun Lin: Five obstacles of Climate Negotiation of Post Kyoto Era
Assistant Professor Zi-Lun Lin pointed out that there will be five obstacles of following climate change negotiation: 1. Will America be able to lead the global climate change policy? In comparison of George W. Bush Government, Obama Authority has been more actively involved with negotiation, attempting to use UN framework replacing the current one. It is notable that whether the U.S. is capable of standing in a leading position in global Carbon Reduction in the future. Secondly, how do the industrialized countries solve the divergent opinions of reduction responsibility? There have been highly diverged opinions even in those industrialized countries that carry the responsibility of reduction. Generally, European Union countries where Great Brittan and Germany as its leading heads, support stricter reduction standard. We should look deeper into whether or not the European Union has the chance to continue in leading the negotiation of climate change. Thirdly, whether or not the developing countries should burden appropriate amount of responsibility in reduction activities? While in the new economic entities such as Asia and Middle East have been increasing carbon emission, these entities play a more important role in global carbon reduction actions. In order to clarify the carbon reduction responsibility in developing countries, there should be a renewal content of the idea “historical responsibility” in future climate change negotiation. During the meeting in Qatar this year, China has accepted the EU 2020 global reduction framework in assurance of future reference of Kyoto Protocol in the following negotiation. In collateral result, the US is willing to continue to participate in the negotiation, which is a large development of this year’s conference. The forth difficulty that Assistant Professor Lin brought up is technicality and large financial burdens. Either the reduction or adjustment project needs sufficient funds. How to create a well-functioned financial mechanism to support developing countries in climate change is an important issue in the future. Last, but not least, the fifth obstacle lies in the issue of how we create a climate system framework that is in just. For example, how do we set up a fair and flexible mechanism?
Wen-Chen Shih: Financial Mechanism Has Gradually Become the Vital Core of Climate Change Negotiation
Professor Wen-Chen Shih pointed out that in recent years, financial mechanism has gradually replace the obligation of reduction, and has become the vital core of climate change negotiation. During this year’s meeting, Green Fund was confirmed to be the main financial mechanism under UNFCCC. Of the following topics include: Green Fund and its relations with related financial mechanism, sources of funds, the application of MRV mechanism in assuring the financial sources of the funds and the activation process of finance, etc. Moreover, in regard of the flexible mechanism, this meeting also discussed whether there should be a claim or dispute resolution channel for the purpose of cleaning up and development mechanism for affected parties of interests. This issue has yet to be concluded. Professor Shih also suggested that in addition to fulfill and improve the current diverse market-oriented flexible mechanism, we could also look into the successful European experiences in creating new needs and activating carbon markets.
Chia-Wei Chao: Taiwan Climate Change Policy Should Not Lost its Own Way in Doha Trend
Mr. Chia-Wei Chao, Executive Committee of Green Citizens’ Action Alliance reviewed the development of COP from a civil group point of view, emphasizing that we should incorporate international trend into Taiwan’s climate change policies. Executive Chao deemed that when the action of reduction is not a sufficient method in rising temperatures, a delicate country such as Taiwan should emphasize more on efficient disaster adjustment strategies. One of the issues that the civil groups in Taiwan should address our government into notice is to build a damage-coping mechanism with responding financial mechanism similar to the one in resolution of 2010 Cancun Agreements. So far we haven’t seen any strong progression. On the other hand, we should discuss how to incorporate the concept of climate change into foreign aid mechanism.
Liang-Yi Chang: Encourage the New Generation to Actively Participate in Climate Change Negotiation
Mr. Liang-Yi Chang, representative of Taiwan Youth Climate Coalition has recently been elected the focal point delegate of YOUNGO. Mr. Chang shared with us his experiences in related field as a young representative participating in fund raising events. Mr. Chang also encouraged the new generation should combine our own profession with climate change issues, actively participates in related activities to reinforce the influence in decision making as a systemic power.
The participants were enthusiastic during the discussion of the seminar. Topics covered during the seminar include how we could build a systematic research organization to support civil groups in participating climate change discussion, how Taiwan, as a non-UN member country could substantially contribute to the issue of climate change through bilateral agreements or foreign aid policies, and how the climate change policies in China affect global negotiation.