The second reading on adaptation began with an introduction to the introduction by the Chair, Mr. Michael Zammit of Malta, of his document reflecting comments provided by Parties on the negotiation text during the first reading on adaptation. A second forty-one pages long document was included presenting the textual submissions made by Parties in preparation for the second reading. A total of 29 individual and 5 regional submissions were made and compiled a document to be finalized and made available soon as the closing of the AWGLCA session.
UNFCCC negotiations in Bonn
During the session, Ecuador, on behalf of the Bolivia, El Salvador, and Venezuela, presented new text on objectives, scopes, and guiding principles section stressing the historical responsibility of developed countries. The framework to enable support, facilitate, and implementation adaptation by ensuring the predictable, stable, adequate, and timely flow of new and additional financial resources for development, deployment, diffusion, of technology to support national, sub-national, regional, adaptation projects and programmes in all developing countries in accordance with commitments under the Convention.
Pakistan requested the inclusion of new text in the monitoring and review of adaptation action and support section to the establishment of a committee of experts on the implementation of commitments by developed countries.
Saudi Arabia requested the inclusion of text recognising the special adaptation needs of countries economically dependent on fossil fuels production, use, and export in the preamble of the section.
India included new text in the institutional arrangements section to establish or strengthen, as appropriate, coordination mechanisms at national, sub-regional, regional, and international levels to support enabling activities, inter alia, planning, design, implementation, learning-by-doing, capacity-building, knowledge-sharing, evaluation activities including ecosystem-based activities; and to implement actual activities on the ground, enhanced and supported through the Convention, for the implementation of adaptation projects and programmes by local, national and regional stakeholders and institutions. Other countries made minor inclusions.
In the text presented on Tuesday morning several new inclusions show the sharp contrast between Parties on how to meaning of Enhanced action on adaptation as per the 1/Cp13, 1c. In the objectives and scope section, new language has been introduced calling for “a strategic (framework)(mechanism) for adaptation and its means implementation shall be adopted, based on the principles and obligations under the Convention. The (framework)(mechanism) shall provide an comprehensive and structured approach to enable, support, facilitate, and implement adaptation actions, including through the provision of adequate, predictable and timely flow of new and additional financial resources, and the transfer of technology to enable urgent and immediate national, sub-regional and regional adaptation activities and programme in all developing countries.” In contrast, in this same section new language was introduced calling for a Framework for Action on Adaptation “Including, in alia, supporting the implementation of immediate priorities and needs as identified in NAPAs and other relevant documents; (…) integrating adaptation into development and sectoral policies and practices, to ensure their effectiveness and sustainability; establishing and strengthening enabling environments (policy, legislative, and institutional) to support, enable, enhance and incentivize adaptation planning and actions; strengthening synergies and coherence with other adaptation related efforts…”
In the section on Monitoring and Review, new language proposes “a compliance system shall be established for the review of financial commitments for adaptation activities…including, inter alia, monitoring and recording financial resources provided by developed countries Parties; Monitoring technology transferred to developing countries Parties, Monitoring the utilization of financial resources; Evaluating the sufficiency of financial and technology support to developing countries Parties every four years”. This submission is in contrast to new language in the same section asking that “the most vulnerable developing countries Parties shall submit their NAPAS for examination on a country-by-country basis, which should result in prioritizing actions requiring assistance for implementation.”
Other inclusions have enhanced the perspective of developing countries. In the Means of implementation section, new language stressed “ commitments of support from Annex I Parties for implementation of adaptation Framework through financial and technology transfer shall be legally binding, with provision of ensuring compliance… Public financing for adaptation shall be assess contributions of developing countries Parties to the Convention, taking into account historical contribution to concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. For developing countries, climate change imposes an additional burden to development and finance for adaptation must therefore be additional to fiancé for development ODA” In the section of