What Is COP22?

by admin | Aug 4, 2016 | Knowledge, MYD2016

COP22. Image was taken from: lnt.ma

The highly anticipated 22nd Conference of the Parties (COP22) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) will be held on the 7th to 18th November 2016 at the ethnically diverse, cultural and traditional city of Marrakesh, Morocco. COP22 offers a unique platform that provides nations with the chance to build on the landmark agreement secured at COP21 in Paris last December 2015. As an outcome of the COP21 Paris climate conference, 195 countries adopted the first-ever universal, legally binding climate deal, also known as the Paris Agreement. Up to date, there is a total of 197 Parties to the Convention (196 States and 1 regional economic integration organisation, the European Union) including Palestine who joined in March 2016.

The ongoing Post-COP21 Agenda debate imminently highlights the importance of achieving the main climate objective, which is keeping the rise in global average temperature below 2 degrees Celsius, and the main Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including poverty eradication of 2030. It is believed that COP22 will be the action conference to realise the target of decarbonisation, as emphasised by the Moroccan foreign minister, Salaheddine Mezouar:

“COP22 has to be a COP of operation. Paris is a moment of strong negotiation but also one moment when resolutions were taken. Today our concern is naturally going to be direct our action to implementation and operation because, with the operation, this world commitment is going to become concrete.”

According to the World Resources Institute, the agenda for the Post Paris: Key Tasks to Complete Before the First Meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement for COP22 include:

• Identify how Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) assessments can inform the Global Stockade;
• Review the Warsaw International Mechanism (WIM);
• Initiate work on identifying information to be provided on public finance provided, mobilised and intended; and,
• Adopt terms of reference for the Paris Committee on Capacity Building (PCCB).

The accountability and success of the historic universal agreement on climate change are highly dependent on how each of the participating countries delivers on their aforementioned plans and promises. COP22 is a crucial stepping stone for parties to begin preparations for entry force of the Paris Agreement and realise the climate target as well as SDGs.

Written by: Jasmin Irisha Jim Ilham
Edited by: Choy Moon Moon

What are Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)?

by admin | Jul 29, 2016 | Knowledge, MYD2016

What are Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)?

By definition, any collective action is comprised of many individual actions. Going forwards, Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) are the bread and butter for countries to organise their efforts and goal-setting under the UNFCCC. They comprise of a country’s commitments to tackling climate change and set forth the country’s anticipated plans and policies for climate action under the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement.1

What do they do?

Under the Paris Agreement regime, NDCs create transparency regarding party states’ efforts. Although they are not legally binding in nature, they ensure that governments actively set ambitious goals to counteract climate change.2 Up to the entry into force of the Paris Agreement, NDCs are considered to be “Intended” NDCs, as global cooperation in climate efforts is integral to how NDCs are formulated. Thus, commitments must activate collectively and simultaneously.3 Upon entry into force, the INDCs submitted become each country’s first NDC, with updated NDCs to be submitted every five years, based on the outcomes of the periodical global stock-takes.4

Key challenges prior to NDCs. Image was taken from: Clean Technica

They represent the dual accountability governments have to their population, as well as to the international community as a whole. Additionally, the declarations of GHG emissions, or emissions intensity reductions in quantitative terms allow climate scientists and policy makers to integrate changes in global emissions into their models. With 158 submitted INDCs representing over almost 190 countries, models forecast a 2.7˚C increase in global-mean temperature over pre-industrial levels, as compared to a 3.7˚C increase given current emissions and policies.

Climate Action Tracker’s rating system of each country’s ambition. Image was taken from: Climate Action Tracker

Why should I care?

INDCs exist to allow governments to be accountable to their populations and fellow countries. Given their non-legally binding nature, the power is with electorates and trade partners to apply pressure to their governments and ensure that meeting NDC goals become prime policy objectives. Without sufficient awareness of NDCs, the UNFCCC and Paris Agreement regime run the risk of dissociating from policy actions, and eventually fail. As it stands, the regime is built on trust – but trust can be betrayed and commitments can be rescinded.

Caring is a responsibility, not an option.

What is Malaysia’s NDC?

There are 5 key components to Malaysia’s first INDC:5

1. In a timeline up to 2030, with 2005 as the base year, Malaysia will
2. Reduce its GHG emissions intensity of GDP by:
3. 35% unconditionally, and
4. 10% upon receipt of technology transfer and capacity building from developed countries

As emissions intensity is a measure of the “efficiency” of GHG emissions in producing economic value (in this case quantified as the GDP), Malaysia has not committed to an absolute reduction or target peaking of emissions. This is problematic, and although the Climate Action Tracker has not evaluated Malaysia’s INDC, it has classified all INDCs made in relation to emissions intensity as “inadequate”.7 Additionally, the “technology transfer and capacity building” are informed by Articles 9, 10 and 11 of the Paris Agreement.8

Written by: Shukri Bin Ahmad Shahizam
Edited by: Choy Moon Moon

References:

1. World Resources Institute. ‘What is an INDC?’. Web. 8 June 2016
2. Articles 3 and Article 4, Paris Agreement
3. Bostock, et al. ‘Shifting from ‘Intended’ to ‘Implemented’ – What’s required for the INDCs?’. Climate & Development Knowledge Network. Web. 8 June 2016
4. Article 3(9), Paris Agreement
5. ‘Tracking INDCs’. Climate Action Tracker. Web. 8 June 2016
6. ‘Intended Nationally Determined Contribution of the Government of Malaysia’. The Government of Malaysia. 8 November 2015. Web. 8 June 2016
7. n5
8. Articles 9, 10 and 11, Paris Agreement

Why Is the Paris Agreement Significant?

by admin | Jul 17, 2016 | Knowledge, MYD2016

Excitement and joy during the final plenary session at COP21 in Paris! From Left to Right: Christiana Figueres, Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, French Foreign Affairs Minister Laurent Fabius, President-designate of COP21 and French President Francois Hollande. Image was taken from: REUTERS (Stephane Mahe)

21st century began, with catastrophic remark of a series of natural disasters and it does not seem to cease. With each of every occurrence of force majeure, it is time to rise and put words into action. The Paris Agreement, is somewhat the silent prayer of environment, is finally heard. It is the collective and concurrent endeavors of 175 countries, echoing with nature’s outcry.

Some say that the Paris Agreement is the historic milestone of 21st century. It is the responsibility of stakeholders like nations and corporations, and the Paris Agreement guides us all with implementations of climate action. Paris Agreement marks the aggregate voice of most countries in the world, with mutual commitment of carbon reduction. Subsequent to the Conference of Parties 21 (COP21) held in Paris and the signing of Paris Agreement in New York, wheels are set in motion with Bonn Climate Change Conference in Germany which aims to further discuss on execution of Paris Agreement.

Many, including the foreign minister of France, Laurent Fabius acknowledges that the ambitious and balanced plan of Paris Agreement is a historic turning point in the goal of reducing global warming; United States’ secretary of state, John Kerry comments that Paris Agreement is the strongest and most ambitious climate pact ever negotiated. Mutual tracking system serves as a “check and balance” in fulfilling the commitment of nation towards Paris Agreement and nature as a whole; approval of financial initiative by Global Environment Facility Council helps the developing nations to effectively monitor and report their progress in reducing national greenhouse gas emission.

Paris Agreement serves as an inspiration. Paris Agreement seems to be zealous, high-reaching and even an eager beaver. However, it is the instrument that draws the cooperation of most countries in the world to commit to common good of human being. It urges the developed countries to have marginal profit and environmental preservation and restoration aligned; it sparks the developing nations that they are not alone in environmental protection and improvement.

Mutual confidence, common goal and equal endeavors are linchpin to not make Paris Agreement the second Kyoto Protocol. The question now is, are we ready? This is something for all of us to ponder upon.

Written by: Ooi Wan Mei (Charlotte)
Edited by: Nicole Lim Pei Pey