The CCXG Global Forum on the Environment and Climate Change was held on 7-8 March 2018 at the OECD Conference Centre in Paris. This Forum brought together around 230 delegates from a wide range of developed and developing countries, as well as representatives from business, inter-governmental organisations, research organisations, environmental NGOs and other relevant institutions.
This Global Forum focused on the Paris rulebook, examining specific aspects of reporting on support. The Global Forum also examined specific aspects of accounting, focusing on baseline targets, as well as links between accounting and transparency. The event included sessions designed to provide information (such as on indicative finance, Article 6 negotiations, and land-use), to explore related topics (common timeframes) or revisit topics previously discussed (finance received and needed). The Global Forum provided a space outside of the UNFCCC negotiations for participants to develop a shared understanding of provisions in the Paris Agreement and how these might be implemented.
Agenda
Summaries of breakout GROUPS
DAY 1 - WEDNESDAY 7 MARCH
Facilitator: Helen Plume, Chair of the Climate Change Expert Group
9:45 – 10:45 Opening Plenary
The opening plenary highlighted data and methodologies relevant to assessing progress against the Paris Agreement’s aim of making financial flows consistent with a pathway towards low-emissions, climate-resilient development.
11:15 – 13:00 Breakout Group 1: Finance received and needed
Co-Facilitators: Andrés Mogro, Ecuador & Gard Lindseth, Norway
Building on discussions at the September 2016 and 2017 Global Forums, this session considered some of the challenging decisions Parties face in reporting on finance received and needed, and how reporting guidance under the Paris Agreement might support countries in addressing them.
11:15 – 13:00 Breakout Group A : Accounting for baseline targets -1
Co-facilitators: Santosh Manivannan, Singapore and Kelly Levin, WRI
This session explored some of the accounting issues related to the updating of baselines.
14:30– 16:00 Breakout Group 2: Information session on indicative climate finance
Co-Facilitators: Andrés Mogro, Ecuador and Gard Lindseth, Norway
This session explored lessons from such experience, via the OECD Forward Spending Survey. Countries and stakeholders also shared their perspectives on the role of this information in the UNFCCC context, and how best to approach work under the SBI in light of current experience.
14:30 – 16:00 Breakout Group B: Accounting for baseline targets -2
Co-Facilitators: Santhosh Manivannan, Singapore and Kelly Levin, WRI
This session first examined what information related to Article 6 could be reported through the ETF and what the MPGs need to consider in order to treat this information. The session also explored the potential role and implications for the Technical Expert Review (TER) in reviewing Article 6 information.
16:30 – 18:00 Breakout Group 3: Transparency of reporting: Technology and capacity-building support provided
Co-Facilitators: Balisi Gopolang, Botswana and Timothée Ourbak, AfD
In this session discussions focused on specific ideas regarding what Parties should report. Participants also discussed options for tackling a key reporting challenge: the integrated manner in which Parties generally provide support, combined with separate reporting across support categories.
16:30 – 18:00 Breakout Group C: Information session on Article 6
Facilitator: Christina Hood, CCXG Secretariat
This information session provided updates on key issues in the Article 6 negotiations and explore linkages between accounting for NDC targets and transfers conducted using Article 6 co-operative approaches.
DAY 2 - THURSDAY 8 MARCH
9:30 – 11:00 Breakout Group 4: Transparency of reporting: Technology support received and needed
Co-facilitators: Hugh Sealy, St George’s University and Petter Lydén, Sweden
In this session speakers and participants were asked to consider what is involved with reporting such information, and provide ideas and comments on options for how MPGs could facilitate reporting.
9:30 –11:00 Breakout Group D: Common timeframes
Facilitator: Harald Winkler, University of Cape Town (UCT)
This session outlined some possible working definitions of key terms related to common timeframes. Presentations and discussions then highlighted options for common timeframes and the point of applicability of common timeframes.
11:30 –13:00 Breakout Group 5: Transparency of reporting: Capacity-building support received and needed
Co-facilitators: Hugh Sealy, St George’s University and Petter Lydén, Sweden
This session considered what is involved in reporting such information and how MPGs for reporting could help enhance clarity of support received and needed under the Paris Agreement, including to take into account lessons from current reporting within the outside the UNFCCC transparency framework.
11:30 –13:00 Breakout Group E: Linkages between accounting and the transparency framework
Facilitator: Felipe de Léon, Costa Rica
This session explored these linkages and elaborated on how they could be addressed within APA negotiations on items 3 (mitigation) and items 5 (transparency).
14:30 – 15:15 Information session: Towards “well below 2˚C” - land-use and the transition to a low-carbon and climate resilient economy
This session explored the role that agriculture, forestry and other land-use sectors need to play in the transition to a low-carbon and climate resilient economy, and the challenges involved.
15:15 – 16:00 Plenary:Co-facilitators’ key takeaways from breakout groups
The (co)-facilitators shared their three key takeaways from each breakout group discussion.
16:00 – 16:30 Closing Plenary: Reflections on the Talanoa Dialogue and the Paris rulebook
In this session, representatives from the COP23 and COP24 presidencies shared insights on the Talanoa Dialogue and on work to finalise the “Paris rulebook”.
FURTHER READING