2011 United Nations Climate Change Conference

2011 United Nations Climate Change Conference
Name	2011 United Nations Climate Change Conference
Other names	Durban Summit, Durban COP17
Location	Durban, KwaZulu‑Natal
Dates	28 November – 11 December 2011
Participants	Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

2011 United Nations Climate Change Conference was an international meeting held in Durban, South Africa from 28 November to 11 December 2011 that brought together representatives of nearly all parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and observers including United Nations, European Union, African Union, G77, Alliance of Small Island States, and Least Developed Countries. The conference combined the 17th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the 7th session of the Meeting of the Parties (CMP7) to the Kyoto Protocol. Delegates from United States, China, India, Brazil, Russia, Japan, Canada, Australia, and European Commission engaged with negotiators from Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa National Treasury, Germany, United Kingdom, France, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Netherlands, Belgium, Poland, Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Turkey, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, New Zealand, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tonga and civil society actors such as Greenpeace, World Wide Fund for Nature, Friends of the Earth, Sierra Club, 350.org, Climate Action Network International, Oxfam International, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, BusinessEurope, International Chamber of Commerce, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, United Nations Development Programme, United Nations Environment Programme.

Background

The conference followed the failure of the 2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen and the incremental progress at the 2010 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Cancún, prompting discussions about Kyoto Protocol continuity, a new legal instrument, and finance mechanisms such as the Green Climate Fund and the Adaptation Fund. Stakeholders including European Union, Brazil, China, India, United States, African Union, Small Island Developing States, G77 and Least Developed Countries pressed on commitments under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Cancún Agreements. Preceding meetings like the Bali Road Map negotiations and outcomes from the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action process framed the agenda.

Venue and Participants

Hosts included the Government of South Africa, the National Treasury (South Africa), and the eThekwini Municipality with venue support from the Durban International Convention Centre. Key delegations were led by ministers and envoys such as representatives of Jacob Zuma, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, negotiators from Christiana Figueres, Patricia Espinosa, envoys associated with Yvo de Boer-era processes and officials from UNFCCC Secretariat. Observers included intergovernmental organizations like the United Nations, European Commission, Commonwealth of Nations, African Development Bank, Asian Development Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and private sector participants including ExxonMobil, BP, Shell, Siemens, General Electric, IKEA Group, Walmart, Goldman Sachs, and philanthropic actors such as Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Negotiations and Key Issues

Negotiations focused on the future of the Kyoto Protocol, the launch of a roadmap toward a new legally binding instrument under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, mechanisms for climate finance including capitalization of the Green Climate Fund and commitments under the Adaptation Fund, rules for REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation), measurement, reporting and verification linked to Measurement, Reporting and Verification guidelines, and architecture for technology transfer involving the Climate Technology Centre and Network. High-profile issues involved emissions targets for Annex I Parties versus non-Annex I countries such as China and India, the legal form of future commitments sought by the European Union and resisted by Canada and Russia, and contentious market mechanisms including Clean Development Mechanism operations and carbon accounting concerns raised by Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Kenya, Bangladesh, Philippines, Maldives, and the Alliance of Small Island States.

Outcomes and Agreements

Delegates agreed to launch the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action outcome, establishing a process to develop a protocol, another legal instrument or an agreed outcome with legal force under the UNFCCC by 2015, to come into effect in 2020. Parties affirmed continuation of the Kyoto Protocol with a second commitment period for some Annex I Parties despite objections from Canada, Japan, and Russia and the decision on the treatment of Belarus and Kazakhstan under Kyoto mechanisms. The conference advanced governance decisions for the Green Climate Fund and agreed on transitional arrangements for operationalizing the fund with inputs from World Bank-related trustee discussions and the Standing Committee on Finance. Negotiators reached compromises on REDD+ safeguards, modalities for Loss and Damage discussions, and workplans for Technology Mechanism activities. The meeting produced a package of decisions spanning mitigation, adaptation, finance, and transparency that maintained multilateral momentum toward a 2015 agreement.

Reactions and Criticism

Reactions ranged from praise by European Commission officials and delegations from African Union and Small Island Developing States for keeping a pathway to a comprehensive deal, to criticism from Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, 350.org, and parts of academia for perceived lack of ambition and delayed timelines criticized by scientists associated with Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and commentators in outlets linked to The Guardian and New York Times. Business groups such as International Chamber of Commerce and financial institutions including Goldman Sachs offered cautious support for clarity on the Green Climate Fund, while some national leaders from United States and China highlighted domestic political constraints. Civil society protests involved organizations like South African Council of Churches and Trade Unions drawing attention to climate justice concerns and the adequacy of finance commitments.

Impact and Legacy

The conference is regarded as pivotal for maintaining the multilateral framework that led to the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris and the eventual Paris Agreement. It influenced subsequent negotiations involving European Union targets, China-United States bilateral engagements, and domestic policy changes in countries such as United Kingdom, Germany, India, Brazil, South Africa, and Australia. The operational steps toward the Green Climate Fund and continued operation of Kyoto Protocol mechanisms shaped carbon markets and finance flows involving institutions like the World Bank and Asian Development Bank. Scholars in climate policy and practitioners within UNFCCC Secretariat, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, United Nations Environment Programme, and NGOs assess the Durban outcomes as a pragmatic compromise that preserved institutional continuity and set the timetable for the legally binding architecture that culminated in the Paris Agreement.

Category:United Nations climate change conferences Category:2011 in South Africa