Quick Links: Report of the Meeting Overview Presentations[Audio] Presentations[Text] UNCTAD´s role on climate change United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

At the opening session, Mr. Habib Ouane - speaking on behalf of Dr. Supachai Panitchpakdi, Secretary-General of UNCTAD - highlighted many aspects of the current climate change negotiations, concluding that UNCTAD, under the strong mandate contained in paragraph 100 of the Accra Accord, was committed to deepening the understanding of the CDM and identifying how its contribution to sustainable development in developing countries might be enhanced and optimized under a post-2012 climate regime.

In his keynote address, the Deputy Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Mr. Richard Kinley, presented an overview of the status of current climate change negotiations under UNFCCC.

He said that consensus was being sought among the negotiating parties in the following four areas:

1. the level of ambition of emission reductions by developed countries beyond 2012
   
   
2. the nature of mitigation strategies for developing countries
   
   
3. the financial and technological support for mitigation and adaptation actions
   
   
4. the institutional framework to deliver mitigation and adaptation

Negotiations showed that parties wanted the CDM to continue, and they wanted it improved. Besides its achievements (such as the capacity to reduce emission reductions, stimulate private sector involvement and technology transfer and identify cost-effective options, among others), CDM presented some challenges.

Several improvements for immediate implementation by the CDM Executive Board were raised, such as:

1. the establishment of timelines
   
   
2. the speed-up of the process for project approval
   
   
3. broadening baseline methodologies
   
   
4. improvement and guidance on the process of additionality
   
   
5. enhancement and speed-up of the process for the formulation and registration of CDM programme of activities (PoA)
   
   
6. promotion of more equitable distribution of CDM projects through more capacity-building, among others

The final message raised by Mr. Kinley was that UNCTAD had an important and consequential role to play with respect to CDM by promoting investment and setting countries on a clean path.