Cement Energy and Environment

Assessment Report 5, the observed impacts of climate change and an assessment of. overall aggregate efforts by Parties. The review is scheduled to commence in 2013 and shou ld be concluded by 2015, when Parties will consider strengthening the long-term global goal, including in relation to a 1.5 degrees goal. Notably, the Conference of the Parties shall take appropri ate action based on the review. It is expected that Assessment Report 5 will provide important policy-relevant information to the review, which is seen as critical by the most vulnerable, notably the small island developing states. But, at the end of the day, the report may not define what 'dangerous' climate change is, because this is seen as a value judgment. Therefore, keeping in mind the fate of the most vulnerable, governments within the review process would need to answer if 2 degrees is an adequate goal. The question is: what can the IPCC do to help them make a fully informed decision on this important issue? Scientific assessments are important for a number of other critical technical issues under the UNFCCC. The next session of the subsidiary bodies, which is taking place in June, 2011 in Bonn, continues to address the issue of scientific, technical and socio-economic aspects of mitigation. The Special Report on Renewable Energy Sources and Climate Change Mitigation will be an important contribution of the IPCC to inform these deliberations. The IPCC Special Report on Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance Climate Change Adaptation, which is in the final stages of preparation, can make an important contribution to the work of the newly created adaptation institutions, once they become full y operational. Yet for All Its Encouraging Outcomes, Cancun Did Not Solve the Key Political Questions It is necessary to consider all the political issues that were not satisfactorily tackled at Cancun. The first, assessments indicate that the sum total of official pledges amount to only 60 per cent of what is needed to limit the temperature increase to 2 degrees Celsius. As a result, every effort needs to be made to find a realistic way to increase the level of ambition to close the gap. And the second key question that Cancun did not solve is the legal framework for capturing em1ss1on reduction targets and actions. Some progress was made in Cancun on Annex I mitigation in the context of the Kyoto Protocol. At the same time, Parties resolved to consider legal options with the aim of completing an agreed outcome in the context of the Convention, based on the 2007 negotiating mandate agreed in Bali. Many Parties want targets for Annex I Parties to be inscribed in an amendment to the Kyoto Protocol , whi le others have stated that they will not participate in a second commitment period. A way forward needs to be urgently found on this issue in 2011 , especially given the growing possibility of a gap after 2012. Related to this, needless to say, is the way forward for the protocol 's f lexible mechanisms and the carbon market. Addressing the unresolved issues and finding global solutions to climate change under the auspices of the UN is critical. While input from outside the negotiations is important, the UN offers the only forum in which decisions on climate change have a legal standing. Additionally, finding solutions under the UN is the only way to ensure that least developed and small countries are included in the response. To be truly meaningful, any transition needs to be as inclusive as possible. Financial issues will continue to be a central issue in Durban as the conference will consider the report of the Transitional Committee on the design of the Green Climate Fund. Similarly, the roles and functions of the Standing Committee wil l be elaborated. Additionally, the review of the Adaptation Fund is set to continue . The role of the GEF is central to these discussions, as it brings a wealth of knowledge and lessons learned in its 20 years of supporting developing countries to implement their commitments under the Convention. 20th Anniversary of GEF is an opportunity to review global negotiations on climate change and discuss the li kely issues and the possible way forward at Durban Conference. Although progress has been made in the global response to climate change, the scientific community has clearly found that more needs to be done to reduce emissions in order to stave off the most catastrophic impacts. Thus, since COP 13 in Bali , Parties to the Convention started designing enhanced actions on mitigation and adaptation supported by scaled up resources. 30