Results of COP22 at Marrakech

COP22 Results 

As mentioned in the previous post, COP22 was successfully held at Marrakech, Morocco between 7th and 18th of November 2016. Prior to the opening of COP22, it was expected to focus on the implementation of the Paris Agreement (PA) - getting the 'details' of PA - since it is the first meeting after the PA that set out the 'overarching goals and framework for international climate action' (Yeo, 2016 - Climate Brief).  

"We will move ahead" - a photo of observers and participants outside the Marrakech conference (Source: UNFCCC Flikr). 

     Negotiators from about 200 countries have gathered in Marrakech to set out the detailed blueprint of PA into action, while US election happened at the same time. The major outcomes of the COP22 are as follows:

1) Three year process for PA implementation - COP22 participating countries have agreed to complete setting the detailed plan for PA (e.g. outlining what kind of documents and workshops will be needed) by 2018, with a review of progress in 2017 (Yeo, 2016 - Climate Brief).  Thus, COP22 'tied up' the loose ends left in the last COP/PA, accelerating the international efforts to make the 2 degrees-promise. 

2) Adaptation Fund - One of the last-minute debates during the COP22 was over the Adaptation Fund, a body established to serve the Kyoto Protocol happened in 1997, on an issue whether it should be moved over to PA implementation. Compared to the new climate finance initiative established for PA, the Green Climate Fund (aiming to achieve US$10 billion), Adaptation Fund is a rather small-size finance resource but some of the recipients favour them "because of its readiness to support small projects" (Climate Home, 2016). At the end, the participants agreed to discuss this issue again and conclude by March 2017. 

3) Finance - There was a strong urge - particularly from developing nations - on "scaling up the financial contribution towards the pre-agreed 'US$100bn per year by 2020' goal" during the conference, but there was no new financial pledges made during the COP22. Instead, donors including Germany, UK and the US stumped up US$50 million contribution to help developing countries enhance their carbon accounting (Climate Home, 2016). Yet, such plans were a drop from the US$100bn a year goal, which has been promised by more developed countries to achieve by 2020. Many of the developing countries continue to emphasise their major concerns over persistent shortage in money to develop plans for adaptation to the global warming impacts, "which are hitting the poorest hardest" (Climate Home, 2016). 

4) Carbon emission targets - Countries agreed to reinforce existing plans on national emission targets, with some nations promising to review their contributions by 2020. Also, the US, Germany, Mexico and Canada agreed on urging towards serious strategies for greater emission reductions by mid-century (World Resources Institute, 2016).
     Notably, Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) partnership was launched in COP22, brining 33 nations and 9 international institutions "to help countries achieve their national climate commitments and ensure financial and technical assistance is delivered as efficiently as possible" (NDC Partnership support unit, 2016). 

5) Loss and Damage - Unresolved debates on compensation for loss and damage caused by climate change were discussed during COP22. Countries agreed on forming a framework, which provides the basis for the next five years of talks solemnly on Loss and Damage issues (Climate Home, 2016). Despite such result, some negotiators from small island developing states and least developed countries complained about lack of progress in loss and damage compensation, highlighting the urgent suffering in their nations due to pollutions and emissions exerted by developed countries. 

Overall, COP22 accentuated the growing acknowledgement among 200 countries across the world that achieving their (national) sustainable development will not be possible without addressing the problems of climate change. As Paula Caballero, the Global Director of Climate Program at World Resources Institute states (2016), "the continued well-being of our economies and societies demands urgent action towards a zero-carbon, climate resilient world" and it is very promising to see such progress in international action during the recent COP. Moreover, the following two years will be very crucial in PA implementation globally; it is worth to keep an eye on the updates on the progress!