2013 United Nations Climate Change Conference

2013 United Nations Climate Change Conference
Name	2013 United Nations Climate Change Conference
Location	Warsaw
Country	Poland
Dates	11–23 November 2013
Participants	United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change parties, observers, NGOs
Previous	2012 United Nations Climate Change Conference
Next	2014 United Nations Climate Change Conference

2013 United Nations Climate Change Conference was the twentieth session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change held in Warsaw from 11 to 23 November 2013. The meeting, hosted by the Government of Poland and chaired under the presidency of Michał Kurtyka's predecessor framework, brought together representatives from United States, China, India, European Union, Brazil, South Africa, Japan, Russia, Canada, Australia, Mexico, Indonesia, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, and dozens of other nation-states as well as delegations from United Nations, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Green Climate Fund, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, World Health Organization, and international NGOs including Greenpeace, WWF, Friends of the Earth International, 350.org, and Climate Action Network.

Background and objectives

The conference followed the outcomes of 2012 United Nations Climate Change Conference and aimed to advance work toward a universal agreement at 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris. Delegates sought to operationalize decisions from negotiations under the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action and clarify rules related to the Kyoto Protocol, Cancún Agreements, Bali Road Map, Doha Amendment, and the architecture envisaged by the Green Climate Fund and Loss and Damage mechanisms. High-level priorities included mobilizing finance commitments involving the European Investment Bank, Asian Development Bank, African Development Bank, and mechanisms under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Conference participants and organization

Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change included representatives from Least Developed Countries, Small Island Developing States, and major emitters such as China, United States, India, Russia, and Brazil. Observers included United Nations Environment Programme, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, International Energy Agency, Green Climate Fund, and private sector actors like BP, ExxonMobil, Shell, Siemens, and General Electric. The presidency and bureau coordinated sessions of the Conference of the Parties and the Subsidiary Body for Implementation, while the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change provided technical inputs and briefings to high-level segments attended by heads of state from Poland, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and representatives from China, United States, Brazil, and South Africa.

Negotiations and key outcomes

Negotiations addressed transparency frameworks influenced by precedents from the Cancún Agreements and the Doha Amendment to the Kyoto Protocol, seeking modalities for intended nationally determined contributions to be submitted ahead of Paris 2015. Parties debated language on differentiation between Annex I countries and Non-Annex I countries, procedural details for the Green Climate Fund capitalization, and rules for carbon markets referencing mechanisms under the Kyoto Protocol and proposals from the European Union Emission Trading Scheme. Outcomes included decisions on fast-start finance reporting, modalities for loss and damage, and work programmes to scale up adaptation under mandates linked to the Adaptation Fund and Long-term Cooperative Action.

National commitments and agreements

Several countries used the platform to announce national pledges and policy initiatives: United States officials highlighted emissions reduction trajectories consistent with regulatory action by the Environmental Protection Agency, while China discussed pilot emissions trading schemes in provinces such as Guangdong and cooperation with the European Union on low-carbon technology. India emphasized development priorities and raised issues about access to finance from institutions like the Green Climate Fund and World Bank. Announcements included bilateral cooperation agreements between Norway and Indonesia on forest preservation, and commitments from Germany and United Kingdom on climate finance for Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States.

Scientific findings and policy discussions

Delegates received syntheses from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change summarizing evidence on global temperature trends, sea-level rise, and carbon budgets that connected to policy deliberations on mitigation pathways, renewable energy deployment studied by the International Renewable Energy Agency, and adaptation strategies involving the World Meteorological Organization and United Nations Development Programme. Sessions highlighted findings about impacts on Coral reefs relevant to Small Island Developing States, permafrost thaw implications discussed in relation to Arctic Council observations, and agricultural resilience considered with inputs from the Food and Agriculture Organization and International Fund for Agricultural Development.

Controversies and criticisms

The conference faced criticism from Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth International, and 350.org over perceived slow progress toward binding commitments and concerns about fossil fuel industry delegation presence including representatives associated with ExxonMobil and BP. Civil society groups protested issues related to transparency, access to negotiators, and the pace of Green Climate Fund capitalization; delegates from Small Island Developing States and Least Developed Countries criticized delays on loss and damage modalities and reparations mechanisms, citing precedents from the Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage debate as insufficient.

Aftermath and impact on subsequent climate talks

Outcomes from the conference influenced preparatory work for 2014 United Nations Climate Change Conference and negotiations that culminated in the Paris Agreement at 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference, shaping rules on intended nationally determined contributions, transparency frameworks, and finance mobilization through entities like the Green Climate Fund and multilateral development banks including the World Bank and Asian Development Bank. The conference reinforced coalitions among Brazil, South Africa, India, China (the BASIC countries), and Least Developed Countries on differentiation stances, while galvanizing advocacy by Environment ministers and civil society organizations such as World Wide Fund for Nature and Climate Action Network International for stronger mitigation commitments.

Category:United Nations climate change conferences