UNFCCC: In Preparation for COP 25
By ERA ENVIRONNEMENT with UNFCCC
The 50th session of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA 50) and the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI 50) will be held in Bonn, Germany, from 17-27 June 2019, in preparation for COP 25.
The Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice is one of two permanent subsidiary bodies to the Convention established by the Conference of the Parties /Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Paris. It supports the work of these bodies through the provision of timely information and advice on scientific and technological matters as they relate to the UNFCC, its Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreeement.
Vulnerability and Adaptation among the discussion
This year, the technical discussion will be about vulnerability, and adaptation to climate change, science and review with research and observation of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) special Report on Global Warming of 1.5 °C. Also up for discussion are methodological issues under the Convention, including a training programme for review experts for the technical review of greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories of Annex I Parties* to the Convention (developed countries).
Under methodological issues under the Kyoto Protocol, SBSTA 50 will address: land use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF); and implications of including reforestation of lands with forest in exhaustion as afforestation and reforestation clean development mechanism (CDM) project activities.
Keys to achieve NDCs
Regarding methodological issues under the Paris Agreement, SBSTA 50 has on its agenda issues related to, inter alia, reporting of information: on anthropogenic emissions by sources and removals by sinks of GHGs; to track progress made in implementing and achieving Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs); and on financial, technology development and transfer and capacity-building support.
On matters relating to Article 6 (cooperative approaches) of the Paris Agreement, the SBSTA will address: guidance on cooperative approaches; rules, modalities and procedures for the mechanism established by Article 6; and the work programme under the framework for non-market approaches. The SBSTA will also discuss market and non-market mechanisms under the Convention, including a framework for various approaches, non-market-based approaches, and a new market-based mechanism.
SBI 50 will include: a multilateral assessment working group session under the international assessment and review (IAR) process; and a facilitative sharing of views under the international consultation and analysis (ICA) process.
How the SBI will work?
The SBI will address issues related to reporting from and review of Annex I Parties, including, inter alia: status of submission and review of seventh national communications and third BRs; compilations and syntheses of second and third BRs; the report on national GHG inventory data for 1990-2016; and revision of the IAR modalities and procedures.
On reporting from non-Annex I Parties (developing countries), the SBI will discuss: information contained in national communications; terms of reference (ToR) of the Consultative Group of Experts (CGE); provision of financial and technical support; and summary reports on the technical analysis of biennial update reports (BURs).
The SBI will also discuss, inter alia: common time frames for NDCs; Kyoto Protocol mechanisms; matters relating to least developed countries (LDCs); development and transfer of technologies; membership of the Adaptation Fund Board (AFB); gender and climate change; and administrative, financial and institutional matters.
The SBSTA and SBI will jointly address: terms of reference for the 2019 review of the Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage associated with Climate Change Impacts (WIM); the Koronivia joint work on agriculture; the scope of the next periodic review of the long-term global goal under the Convention and of overall progress towards achieving it; and matters relating to the forum on the impact of the implementation of response measures.
