Background for The United Nations Climate Change Conference in Poznań

At the Climate Change Conference in Bali, Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) decided to launch formal negotiations on a strengthened international deal on climate change. These negotiations are set to be concluded by the end of 2009 at the Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen. To conduct the process, a subsidiary body under the Convention was set up. In December 2005,  a working group was established to discuss future commitments for industrialized countries under the Kyoto Protocol (the AWG-KP), which is also set to complete its work by the end of 2009.

The United Nations Climate Change Conference in Poznań

The Poznań Climate Change Conference provides the opportunity to draw together the advances made in 2008 and move from discussion to negotiation mode in 2009 in order to build momentum towards an agreed outcome at Copenhagen 2009. In Poznań, Parties are expected to:

• Agree on a plan of action and programmes of work for the final year of negotiations after a year of comprehensive and extensive discussions on crucial issues relating to future commitments, actions and cooperation
• Make significant progress on a number of on-going issues required to enhance further the implementation of the Convention and the Kyoto Protocol
• Advance understanding and commonality of views on “shared vision” for a new climate change regime
• Strengthen momentum and commitment to the process and the agreed timeline

Important continuing issues will be capacity-building for developing countries, reducing emissions from deforestation (REDD), technology transfer and adaptation.

The Second Review of the Kyoto Protocol under its Article 9 will also take place at Poznań. Article 9 requires a periodic review of the treaty in the light of the best available scientific information on climate change and its impacts, as well as relevant technical, social and economic information.

Working groups will address cooperative action dealing with adaptation, mitigation, technology, financing and the shared vision for a new climate change regime; as well as further commitments for Annex I Parties under the Kyoto Protocol deliberating on the possible means to achieve mitigation objectives for developed countries, before moving on to consider ranges of emission reduction objectives of Annex I Parties.