LOOKING AHEAD TO MEXICO

In the wake of COP15 both governments and business leaders have freely admitted that the Copenhagen Accord falls short of expectations, but at the same time they have emphasised their resolve to continue working towards a legally binding international agreement to address climate change. What can we expect as we look ahead to Mexico?

There can be no more illusions that reaching a legally binding agreement on climate change will be easy. The frustration of Copenhagen remains evident and in the U.S. climate change legislation is facing an uphill battle. UNFCCC Executive Secretary Yvo de Boer has described the first months of the year as a

“cooling off period” following the intense and often confrontational negotiations during Copenhagen.

Climate change, however, remains high on the agenda. De Boer himself has been busy talking to world leaders about their ideas to improve the negotiation process, and will meet with Mexican President Felipe Calderon this month for detailed discussions. According to De Boer, several countries have called for an intensified negotiating schedule that may include an additional meeting hosted ahead of the mid-year UNFCCC meeting in Bonn and a series of meetings in the build-up to COP16 in December.

The environmental ministers of the BASIC Group (Brazil, South Africa, India and China) met in New Delhi on 24 January 2010, issuing a statement that expressed their support for the UNFCCC process and called on Denmark, as the chair of the Conference of Parties, to convene at least five meetings of the UNFCCC working groups before the COP16. In the first week of February the Delhi Sustainable Development Summit will consider the theme “Beyond Copenhagen: new pathways to sustainable development”, providing a forum for leaders to engage further on climate change related issues, and the EU’s climate

change strategy will come under discussion at the meeting of the European Council on 11 February.

Business leaders have continued to urge governments to reach a legally binding agreement. Jean Rozwadowski, Secretary General of the International Chamber of Commerce, has said “Business is seeking predictability to help plan its future global investments and the Copenhagen Accord has started that process. But there is major work ahead in setting out detailed elements, in particular those aimed at making the monitoring, reporting and verification processes operational.” Mr. Rozwadowski also emphasized the need for cooperation between business and government arguing that “there is a greater need than ever for business to work with governments to help rapidly advance the decisions to establish the terms and procedures that will give business the predictability that it requires."

While specific dates have not yet been set for additional UNFCCC meetings in the run-up to Mexico, it is already apparent world leaders and UN officials intend to address key sticking points in the course of the year to ensure the legally binding agreement that was hoped for in Copenhagen will be achieved at COP16.