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Conference of the Parties (COP)

IISD at COP 13/MOP 3

Between December 3 and 15, 2007, the international climate community gathered in Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia, for the 13th Conference of the Parties (COP 13) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the third Meeting of the Parties (MOP 3). Through an intense process, agreement was reached on the content of the Bali Action Plan, which sets out the framework for negotiation of an agreement on long-term cooperative action over the next two years. These negotiations will revolve around four pillars: mitigation; adaptation; technology development and transfer; and financial resources and investment. Agreement was also reached on the design of the Adaptation Fund and progress made in areas such as technology transfer and reducing emissions from deforestation.

As always, IISD's Reporting Services team provided full coverage (in English, French and Spanish) of the negotiations and of the conference's official side events through the Earth Negotiations Bulletin and ENB on the Side respectively.

As well, the staff and associates of IISD's Climate Change and Energy programs hosted, supported and participated in the following events:

Thursday, December 6:

• Furthering EU objectives on climate change and clean energy: Engaging developing countries (PDF - 58 kb)
  Achieving the EU's climate change and energy goals will depend significantly on what happens outside the EU, including in developing countries. This IISD event examined opportunities for encouraging developing countries to pursue low carbon development, with an emphasis on actions to engage large developing emitters. IISD has prepared a summary (PDF - 35 kb) of the content and outcomes of this side event.

Friday, December 7:

• Squaring the circle: Reconciling rapid economic growth and GHG mitigation (PDF - 55 kb).
  IISD hosted a side event that asked the questions: How can we design a post-2012 regime that takes the unique mitigation challenges of countries with rapidly growing economies and/or populations? And how can we do this sustainably while achieving a global reduction in emissions of at least 50 per cent by 2050? The side event highlighted IISD's ongoing work related to international climate change policy scenarios and their implications for Canada. IISD prepared a report (PDF - 35 kb) summarizing the presentations and discussions during this side event. ENB on the Side provided coverage of this event.

• The climate regime beyond 2012: Reconciling Asian priorities and global interests
  John Drexhage participated in this side event hosted by the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies. Coverage of this meeting was provided by ENB on the Side.

• How do you do adaptation and mitigation projects?
  John Drexhage participated in this side event hosted by the International Emissions Trading Association.

• Making adaptation funding mechanisms work for the most vulnerable
  Organized by CARE Canada and chaired by David Runnalls, this event facilitated discussion between panelists and audience members on what it will take in terms of both scale and structure to ensure that adaptation funding mechanisms meet the needs of the most vulnerable. Coverage of this side event was provided by ENB on the Side.

Saturday, December 8:

• Adaptive policy-making in a world of uncertainty
  Hosted by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), this side event focused on identifying elements of adaptive features within the policy-making process, suggesting ways to strengthen them further. The idea is to help policies become more robust in their response towards a rapidly changing climate and rather uncertain future. The side event highlighted outcomes of the joint IISD-TERI project, Adaptive policy-making. Coverage of this event was provided by ENB on the Side.

Saturday, December 8 and Sunday, December 9:

• High-level dialogue on trade and climate change issues
  Hosted by the Government of Indonesia, this meeting marked the first time that Ministers of Trade came together to discuss trade policies related to climate change issues. IISD assisted the Government of Indonesia in the implementation of this meeting and by preparing the following two background papers:

  • Trade and climate change linkages (PDF - 251 kb)
    This paper lays out the full range of linkages by which trade and climate change are interlinked, including legal linkages, physical impacts of climate change on trade and investment flows, impacts of trade and investment policy changes on climate change and competitiveness issues.

  • Trade policy tools and instruments for addressing climate change and sustainable development (PDF - 206 kb)
    This paper examines in some depth the ways in which trade and investment policy might be employed to further climate change objectives. The discussion covers: liberalizing trade in low-emission goods, allowing subsidies for greenhouse gas reductions, addressing domestic barriers to clean energy investment, amending intellectual property rights and lowering fossil fuel subsidies.

• Development and Climate Days
  IISD again co-hosted Development and Climate Days with the International Institute for Environment and Development and the Stockholm Environment Institute. As part of this year's event, IISD led a session on how to foster clean energy investment in developing countries. Complete coverage of Development and Climate Days, including a report prepared by IISD Reporting Services and a Web cast of all sessions, can be found on this events official Web site.

Tuesday, December 11:

• Ethics of climate change
  John Drexhage and Deborah Murphy participated in this meeting hosted by The Energy and Resource Institute (TERI). The meeting explored legal and ethical principles and institutional frameworks for a climate regime.

IISD also continued to be an active contributor to the work of the RINGO group (Research and Independent Non-Governmental Organizations).

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