WEDNESDAY, DEC. 2
The day was mostly occupied with Spin-Off Groups and an evening ADP
stocktaking plenary that also included COP President Laurent Fabius.
Fabius and the ADP co-chairs expressed concern about the slow pace of the
spin-offs. We heard rumors that in fact Fabius was unhappy with the
inability of the co-chairs to get more forward motion going on reducing
options in the text. ut for those with some experience in the process,
this is a pretty typically mid-first-week sag.
The problem, however, is that this COP doesn't have another week and a half
to wrap up. The ADP's work will be done Saturday, and then there are
effectively three negotiating days next week to finalize the Paris
Agreement.
THURSDAY, Dec. 3
The ADP scheduled no less than 18 Spin-Off Groups during the day, a couple
lasting as long as six hours. The topics ranged across the entire
negotiating text, but again it was evident that only small amount of
progress is being made on reducing options and finding convergence where
there are two or three different positions.
In addition, the cross-cutting aspects of many issues adds to the
complexity, because if movement occurs on one issue, it could affect the
result in two or more others. With a decade of experience avoiding
uncomfortable results of that kind, negotiators again have chosen to play
it safe.
Unlike the Spin-Off Groups which are off-limits to observers, the ADP
Contact Group had its session on screens in the hall, but the results
weren't any better. This lengthy session was split into two three hour
segments, one before and one after lunch, then a break at 6 p.m., and a short
stocktaking session.
The upshot was the very eloquent recital of very long-standing positions,
and no apparent movement on almost any of the key questions. While it was
always expected that negotiators would be very cautious, things have moved
slower than anyone hoped this week.
Compilation Text
Thursday morning, the co-chairs released a temporary compilation text, but
only reduced the length by about four pages. Now the hard part starts.
Thursday evening, facilitators for the Spin-Off Groups generally reported
that progress was starting to be made but more time is needed.
But at long last, after four years and 12 official sessions of the ADP
(some stretching across more than one meeting period), there is no more
time for Spin-Off Groups and other informal meetings. And now the ADP
Contact Group will meet continuously on Friday to consider the new revised
text and a separate document with bridging proposals, and try to make real
progress by late Friday night.
Article 2
One important element does seem to be moving in the wrong direction. Along
with environmental and labor colleagues, the Sierra Club worked strenuously
this week on Article 2 (Purpose of the Paris Agreement) to preserve the
language referring to protection of natural ecosystems, just transition of
the workforce and creation of decent work, human rights for all, including
indigenous peoples, and gender equality.
The language was in part the result of efforts across all of civil society
last year to come up with a package approach covering the social and
economic rights of all sectors. But the language has been stuck in a
battle between countries wanting it in the legally effective "operational"
part of the text such as Article 2, influencing all of the other parts, or
the legally inconsequential Preamble.
The rationale is that these aspects of rights and responsibilities are not
part of "the purpose of the Agreement" -- as stated in the "long term goal"
of the first part of Article 2.
But the Sierra Club and many others have been arguing that including this language
is essential to show that the climate transition must not only be effective
in reaching the long term goal, but fair in how the world gets there. The
Paris Agreement will be decided by governments, but only the people can
give it life.
It all started last Sunday evening when Norway proposed moving the language out
of Article 2 elsewhere -- to the adaptation text, and maybe the text on
technology, or mitigation -- well, it wasn't entirely clear.
But today, the U.S. (which supports the elements but only if they are in the
Preamble) joined Norway in blocking compromise language -- and it appears
this will tip the balance toward moving the language to the Preamble, where
it is still vulnerable and not actionable. While work continues in some of
the thematic areas like adaptation to incorporate this “keystone” text,
some hope remains because both Brazil and Canada signalled strong
support for keeping the language in Article 2.
State of Play Dateline
[x] Sunday 29 ADP pre-plenary
[x] Monday 30 COP opening plenary - Leader Event
[x] Tuesday 1 COP/CMP joint plenary, SBI and SBSTA opening plenaries,
start of ADP contact group and spinoffs
[x] Wednesday 2 - Spin-Off Groups, ADP stocktaking
[x] Thursday 3 - Spin-Off Groups, ADP stocktaking
[ ] Friday 4 - revised ADP text 8 am
[ ] Saturday 5 closing ADP plenary, COP plenary
[ ] Sunday 6 [COP 21 closed]
[ ] Monday 7 High Level Segment
[ ] Tuesday 8 High Level Segment
[ ] Wednesday 9
[ ] Thursday 10
[ ] Friday 11 closing COP plenary