As an official observer organization to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) process, YES-Europe attended the Bonn Climate Conference (SB60) that took place early this month. The Subsidiary Bodies (SBs) of the UNFCCC convene twice a year, once in Bonn and a second time during COP. The Bonn climate talks lay the groundwork and technical foundation for the political decisions at COP. This conference provides a crucial opportunity for negotiators, policymakers and observers to shape the upcoming decisions of COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan. Our delegation is back and ready to report on the key developments from the negotiation tracks we followed. 

Climate Change Mitigation

Climate change mitigation refers to all efforts aimed at reducing or preventing GHG emissions. The UNFCCC Mitigation Work Programme (MWP) was adopted at COP27 in Sharm-el-Sheikh  with the purpose of urgently scaling up mitigation ambition and implementation in this decade. 

Prior to SB60, the MWP hosted the third Global Dialogue and investment-focused event. This year the topic is on reducing emissions from buildings and urban systems. Negotiators differed on whether the draft conclusions from Bonn should reflect a procedural or substantive outcome. Persistent disagreements centered around the program’s mandate, including how the outcome of the Global Stocktake should inform the work of the MWP and its respective decisions. Several countries strongly opposed the idea of the MWP setting specific emissions reduction targets, reiterating that the programme’s sole objective is to facilitate dialogue between countries. Another contentious issue was the relationship between the MWP and the preparation of nationally determined contributions (NDCs). 

An informal note and draft procedural conclusions were produced by the co-facilitators. However, Parties (i.e. countries) were unable to reach an agreement on the MWP, resulting in the application of Rule 16, which postpones the agenda item to the next meeting in Baku​​. There remains a need for clear, substantive decisions on mitigation at the upcoming COP29, as many countries expressed deep concern over the lack of agreed outcomes at SB60. The MWP, set to deliver on one of the main objectives of the Paris Agreement, risks becoming nothing more than a superficial exchange of views between Parties if countries do not harness its potential to guide global efforts in phasing out fossil fuels. 

New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG)

This year all eyes are on climate finance. The Paris Agreement stipulates a USD 100 billion annual climate finance pledge until 2025 that should be provided by developed countries to support developing nations in combating and adapting to climate change. Even though there are doubts about the fulfillment of this pledge, the focus this year is on setting a post-2025 annual climate finance goal (NCQG) that should be above USD 100 billion and in accordance with the needs of developing countries (estimated in the trillions). The rationale is that developed countries bear a historical responsibility for causing anthropogenic climate change, having industrialized earlier and contributing a significant proportion of the GHG emissions in the atmosphere.

The NCQG negotiations in Bonn were tense with noticeable divisions between developed and developing countries. Disagreements persisted over many aspects of the new target such as how to define climate finance; the specific quantity of the goal; which countries should provide the funds and which should receive it; the form of funding (grants/loans); the role of public vs private financial sources; and whether there should be thematic sub-targets for mitigation, adaptation and loss and damage.

Given the diverging national positions, SB60 made only marginal procedural progress to facilitate the adoption of an ambitious NCQG at COP29. The main outcome was in the form of a 35-page informal input paper, prepared by the co-chairs of the ad hoc work programme. It contains a multitude of perspectives and has been often characterized as “unbalanced” by negotiators during the final sessions.

Just Transition

The purpose of the just transition is to mitigate the negative socio-economic impacts of the transition to climate neutrality and to ensure equitable distribution of the resulting benefits. It is often repeated that the just transition is about “leaving no one behind”. However, it is less clear what this means precisely and how it can actually be implemented.

In this regard, the Just Transition Work Programme (JTWP) was established at last year’s COP. The objective of the programme is to guide the discussion about just and equitable transition pathways towards achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement i.e. limiting global warming to below 2 °C and enhancing countries’ adaptation measures. The JTWP involves, among other things, sustainable development and poverty eradication; just transition of the workforce; creation of quality jobs; social dialogue and social protection; inclusive participation and international cooperation.

At SB60, the first dialogue under the JTWP was conducted, followed by contact groups between Parties to negotiate how to operationalize the above-mentioned objectives of the programme. The aim of this first dialogue was to discuss how Just Transition can be incorporated into nationally determined contributions (NDCs), national adaptation plans (NAPs) and Long-Term Low Emission Development Strategies (LT-LEDS). There was a general consensus that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to the just transition and that it should be tailored to national circumstances and include all different branches of government. Many countries also underscored the importance of human rights, gender equality, labour rights, meaningful social dialogue as well as enhanced stakeholder engagement of marginalized groups, including youth.

Nevertheless, the negotiations themselves were not particularly meaningful with persistent disagreements over the role of means of implementation (capacity-building, climate finance, technology development and transfer) and the international dimension of the transition (just transition within a country or between countries). Countries also clashed on the practicalities of the JTWP, including setting up a work plan, timeline, selection of topics for future dialogues, etc.

On the last day, countries were able to agree on draft procedural conclusions and an informal note, both of which fall short of a substantive outcome that delivers justice for people and actionable solutions to communities.

Climate Change Adaptation

Adaptation refers to the process of adjusting to actual or expected climate change and its effects in order to minimize harm. This involves implementing strategies and actions that help communities, ecosystems and economies become more resilient to the impacts of climate change.

At COP28, Parties agreed on a UAE Framework for Global Climate Resilience, marking a major step for adaptation efforts. The framework aims to guide actions towards achieving the global goal on adaptation, assessing progress on reducing climate change impacts, risks and vulnerabilities. Last year countries also established a two-year UAE-Belém work programme on the development of indicators for measuring progress achieved towards the thematic targets outlined in the framework.

During the Bonn conference, Parties advanced toward developing inclusive, transparent and science-based indicators for each thematic target, agreeing on the process for selecting indicators and the technical work ahead. The other key adaptation-related negotiation item was the development of National Adaptation Plans (NAPs). The Global Stocktake called for Parties to prepare NAPs by the end of 2025 and to make progress in implementing them by 2030. Only 58 developing countries have submitted a NAP so far. The UNFCCC secretariat will work directly with countries over the coming months to assist them in the formulation of NAPs.

While the SB60 negotiations on the indicators under the global goal on adaptation led to an agreement on draft conclusions, the NAPs negotiations concluded with a procedural decision​​. Notably, there exists a huge gap in adaptation finance. According to a recent UNEP report, the adaptation finance needs of developing countries are 10-18 times higher than international public finance flows. The Adaptation Fund is the UNFCCC instrument tasked to provide financial resources for adaptation projects in countries that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change. However, it remains severely underfunded and the SB60 negotiations around it did not lead to consensus.

Global Stocktake

The Global Stocktake (GST) is a periodic assessment process, taking place every 5 years, to evaluate collective progress toward achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement. It aims to inform the development of countries’ NDCs and enhance their actions to meet the Agreement’s objectives.

The first Global Stocktake concluded at COP28 last year and calls on countries to, among others, “transition away” from fossil fuels; triple renewable energy and double energy efficiency by 2030 and adopt sustainable practices such as circular economy and nature-based solutions.

At SB60 discussions around the Global Stocktake took place in three forums. With regards to the procedural and logistical elements of the overall GST process, Parties expressed overall satisfaction, agreeing to refine it for the second cycle (2026-2028) rather than making significant changes. This was summarized in an informal note. 

On the other hand, there were significant divides between countries concerning the scope of the Dialogue on Implementing the Outcomes of the GST. Some countries viewed it as a space to discuss all of its outcomes while others preferred to focus solely on finance. Countries were not able to reconcile positions and decided to resume negotiations in Baku on the basis of an informal note.

Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) are central to the GST as they provide the necessary commitments and progress reports from individual countries. A dedicated mandated event took place at the Bonn conference, aiming to facilitate the sharing of good practices on how the GST’s outcomes will inform the preparation of parties’ next NDCs. Countries are required to submit their next round of NDCs early next year, covering post-2030 efforts to reduce GHG emissions in line with the Paris Agreement goals.

Loss and Damage

Loss and damage refer to the adverse effects of climate change that cannot be mitigated or adapted to, encompassing both economic and non-economic losses. These impacts disproportionately affect vulnerable communities and nations, particularly those with limited resources to cope with climate-related hazards.

The Warsaw International Mechanism (WIM) for Loss and Damage, established under the UNFCCC, is the primary framework for addressing loss and damage associated with climate impacts. This mechanism includes the Santiago Network, which aims to catalyze technical assistance and capacity-building to support developing countries in managing loss and damage effectively.  In Bonn, Parties agreed to undertake the review of the mechanism at SB61 based on the finalized Terms of Reference and to forward the outcomes to the appropriate bodies.

A dedicated Loss and Damage Fund was operationalized at COP28 to support developing countries. During the final Glasgow Dialogue at SB60 negotiators highlighted the progress made in establishing the above-mentioned mechanisms but also pointed out significant gaps at sub-national levels due to financial constraints and fragmented approaches. There remains a critical need to operationalize the Loss and Damage Fund effectively, ensuring streamlined processes for swift financial disbursement​​. At COP29, key topics on loss and damage will cover the membership and governance of the WIM, accessibility criteria and the addition of a subtarget on loss and damage in the NCQG.

More information on other negotiation items discussed during the Bonn Climate Change Conference (SB60), such as agriculture, carbon markets, gender and climate change, action for climate empowerment and more, can be found here and here.