COP18: Consensus Not Met on Target Reductions; Still Room for Energy Efficiency

Date: Dec 10, 2012

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Photo Credit: Sally Shatz, Dec. 8, 2012.

Delegates from more than 190 countries took part in the 18^th Conference of the Parties (COP18) climate change negotiations, held Nov. 26 to Dec. 7 in Doha, Qatar. The annual member meeting of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) focused on three goals: (1) negotiating a new set of emission reduction targets for the Kyoto Protocol, (2) wrapping up the Ad Hoc Working Group on Long Term Cooperation, and (3) moving forward with agreements from the Durban Platform for Extended Action.

Even with a newly published study reporting that global carbon emissions were at a record high in 2011 and are likely to continue rising in 2012, analysts expected progress on negotiations to be modest – due in part to nations’ continued efforts to work their way out of economic crisis and (such as the case with China) political turnover.

Energy Efficiency at COP18

UNFCCC Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres highlighted the important role of energy efficiency measures in climate change mitigation – since they not only reduce carbon emissions, but also provide cost savings for businesses and homeowners and bolster green economic development. “In collaboration with key stakeholders, including business and industry, governments need to step up measures that promote behavioral change and drive energy efficiency improvements across all sectors,” Figueres remarked.

At the conference, Ecofys and Alliance to Save Energy Associate Philips Lighting partnered to publish a report assessing the benefits of energy efficiency. The report estimated that by 2020, energy efficiency can reduce “global fuel bills by US $1900 billion.” Not only will improvements in energy efficiency decrease energy prices, but they also will contribute to sustainable development and free up capital for investments that lead to job creation.

Key Outcomes

Kyoto Protocol

The European Union, Australia, Norway, Lichtenstein, Croatia, Ukraine, and others have committed to emission reduction targets ranging from 5% to 40% for the second period of the Protocol. Although developing countries argued for a five-year extension, the eight-year extension to 2020 favored by the developed nations was eventually adopted. Japan, Russia, Canada, and New Zealand, all signatories of the first period, withdrew from the second period. The United States also did not commit to binding targets.

Green Climate Fund

Negotiations on funding for theGreen Climate Fund to help developing countries reduce carbon emissions led several EU countries to pledge approximately $6 billion to long-term climate financing, but the goal of raising $100 billion a year by 2020 remains a distant target.

Technology Transfer

Negotiation on technology transfer – the sharing of innovative technologies and processes between developed and developing countries that help mitigate and adapt to climate change – resulted in the Climate Technology Centre becoming operational. Developed countries argued against the expansion of “technologies in the public domain,” while other nations, including China and India, expressed the need for it.

With striking differences in interest between the developed and the developing nations, the Parties failed to reach consensus on key issues such as financing and emissions reduction targets. Talks continued well into the evening of Dec. 8 before agreements were made.

Although climate change is a global challenge, nations can still contribute to mitigating carbon emissions at the national and sub-national levels. Energy efficiency is one of the most cost-effective ways to achieve this.

Read About Previous Conference of Parties on ASE.org:

Alliance International Intern Michael Yu contributed to this article.