DIALOGUE AT THE UNFCCC COP MEETINGS: NEGOTIATING ADAPTATION FOR CLIMATE CHANGE

Abstract

The United National Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is a complex negotiation process at the global level designed to address the issue of climate change. This study provides an overview of the UNFCCC negotiation process since it’s establishment at the Rio Conference (1992) till the last Doha Climate change Conference (2012), looking in particular at issues related to adaptation and adaptation financing.

The study is based on the experience through participating in various UNFCCC meetings as well as literature from other authors familiar with the process. It deals with three fundamental issues: First, an overview of different actors involved in the climate negotiations and the major mitigation milestones achieved over the last two-decade. Second, the evolution of major adaptation policy outcomes; and third, the opportunities and challenges on adaptation finance.

In the recent years, the climate change negotiations have increasingly shifted focus towards adaptation, as mitigation has become more difficult to negotiate. Mitigation is linked with the economic development and growth of countries whose economies rely on the consumption of fossil fuels. None of these countries are ready to take on legally binding ambitious mitigation targets, which might threaten their national growth within the current climate of economic downturn.

Adaptation first became the integral part of climate negotiations after 2001 – with the adoption of The Marrakech Accord. The UNFCCC has adopted milestone decisions to reduce the vulnerabilities of developing countries. The decisions on the establishment and implementation of National Adaptation Programme of Action (NAPA), National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), The Nairobi Work Programme and The Cancun Adaptation Framework are some of these milestones achieved.

Providing funding for developing countries to adapt to the impacts of climate change has become central to the negotiations on climate change adaptation. As of September 2012, twenty-five developed countries had provided funding totaling 1.63 billion USD for adaptation. European countries contributed around sixty-six percentage of total adaptation funding. The United Kingdom (UK) is the highest contributor followed by United State. As of June 2012, 1.51 billion USD has been allocated to 100 developing countries for adaptation projects. Out of these developing countries, Bangladesh received the highest sum of adaptation funding. This is mainly due to the contribution made through pilot program for climate resilient (PPCR). Almost 50% of PPCR funding is in the form of soft loans.

Despite this financial package, the adaptation negotiations have prioritized focus on securing more funding for adaptation. Studies had shown that there is a need of at least 4 – 37 billion USD annually by 2015 for adaptation in developing countries (Oxfam, 2007). In the current economic recession, the UNFCCC needs to find other innovative way of generating funding from both the private and public sectors.

This research provides some policy recommendations for the consideration by government Parties, for future climate negotiations on adaptation.