The Warsaw Climate Change Convention

The Warsaw Climate Change Convention took place the last month in Poland. As any other the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change has been subjected to criticisms as well as to flatters. Nonetheless, it is clear that some kind of progress has been made in regards to some decisions and mechanisms directed to meet the target of lowering the earth´s temperature by 2 ºC.

Parties in the conference established the Warsaw International Mechanism on Loss and Damage, and the “Warsaw REDD+ framework”. These two initiatives are directed to cut the emissions mainly from deforestation as well as to adapt to the loss and damages caused by the effects of climate change. It seems that in this COP19 we are seeing a move from mitigation to adaptation measures. Participants of the convention are aware of the difficulties faced to cut emissions and developing countries seem to be paying the price of weather events, as said by Christiana Figueres, the Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Funds mobilization to adaptation measures has also been discussed in the conference where developed countries play the most important role in assisting the developing world. The US, Norway and the UK have been present in this contribution and have shown commitment to fund the new Warsaw REDD+ initiative. The importance of forests in reducing carbon emissions has been of central attention and it has been concluded that deforestation accounts for 20% of the emissions generated by human beings. By making a sustainable use of forests and by giving them the necessary importance as carbon sinks and climate stabilizers, both the developed and the developing world will be benefit.

The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) has also been discussed in the convention. It seems that this economic instrument is facing some market problems in the international sphere. The COP19 highlighted the importance of a more participatory approach on part of the parties in regards to this coasian tool. What is more, guidance on this issue was contemplated. The Executive Board was given the task of assisting authorities in managing the benefits derived from CDM activities. Different projects in the developing world under the umbrella of the CDM are taking place and hence the COP19 has requested the evaluation of this tool as a voluntary instrument for the development of such sustainable projects. Ethiopia, for instance, is the first country in Africa receiving forestry carbon credits for CDM activities.

This instrument, with its weaknesses, could be seen as an opportunity for both “worlds” to lower their emissions. The developed countries could counterbalance their emissions through a financial transfer to the developing world while the latter could actually implement projects with this financial flow generating socio-economic benefits for the communities involved. Therefore, advancing on this mechanism could be seen as a path where the preservation of the environment through economic tools can lead us to a better sustainable development of poor countries. Nevertheless, it needs to be taken into account that this mechanism has faced strong criticisms during the convention by leaders of the developing world; as the minister of Ecuador called for political discussion on the lack of demand for emission reductions.

To conclude, it must be said that even though the convention has tackled different initiatives, decisions and tools, it is far from clear whether the implementation of these new arrangements will be feasible. It is undoubtedly a pathway for further agreements in Paris 2015 but it seems that action is urgently needed if we want to ensure that planet earth and its humanity will not suffer from possible devastating effects of climate change.

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