2019 United Nations Climate Change Conference

2019 United Nations Climate Change Conference
Pool Moncloa · Attribution · source
Name	2019 United Nations Climate Change Conference
Date	2–15 December 2019
Location	Madrid, Spain (hosted by Chile)
Venue	IFEMA Feria de Madrid
Also known as	COP25
Participants	Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
Coordinates	40.4680°N 3.6170°W

2019 United Nations Climate Change Conference

The 2019 United Nations Climate Change Conference convened as the 25th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in a session relocated to Madrid and hosted on behalf of Chile after civil unrest in Santiago. The meeting assembled representatives from United Nations, European Union, United States, China, India, Brazil, Australia, Canada, Mexico, Japan, Russia, South Africa, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, Kenya, Egypt, Argentina, Chile and other signatories to negotiate rules and raise ambition under the Paris Agreement and the Kyoto Protocol. Delegations included ministers, negotiators, indigenous leaders, scientists from Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and observers from Greenpeace, World Wildlife Fund, Sierra Club, and business coalitions.

Background and Objectives

The conference followed the scientific assessments of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and public mobilizations such as the climate strikes inspired by Greta Thunberg and movements linked to Extinction Rebellion, Fridays for Future, Sunrise Movement, and youth delegations. Objectives included finalizing rulebook elements for Article 6 of the Paris Agreement on market mechanisms, advancing transparency provisions under the Enhanced Transparency Framework, and encouraging Nationally Determined Contributions submitted by parties such as China, India, United States, European Union, Brazil, South Africa, and Indonesia. Organizers aimed to address losses and damages noted in reports involving Small Island Developing States, Least Developed Countries, and Alliance of Small Island States concerns.

Participants and Organization

Delegations represented Parties and observer organizations including United Nations Environment Programme, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, World Health Organization, Food and Agriculture Organization, and intergovernmental groups like Organization of American States observers. The presidency shifted from Chile to Spain for venue hosting; the presidency role was held by Chile officials who coordinated with Spanish hosts and the UNFCCC Secretariat under Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa. Negotiation tracks were organized by constituencies such as G77 and China, Umbrella Group, African Group, Environmental Integrity Group, Arab Group, Least Developed Countries Expert Group, and negotiating groups involving ministers from Germany, France, United Kingdom, Italy, Sweden, Netherlands, and Denmark.

Key Negotiations and Outcomes

Negotiations concentrated on Article 6 trading rules, the Katowice Climate Package implementation, and modalities for transparency reporting by parties including Canada and Australia. Delegates debated carbon market accounting linked to mechanisms such as internationally transferred mitigation outcomes (ITMOs) and references to emissions trading systems in jurisdictions including European Union, New Zealand, South Korea, and Japan. Outcomes included provisional guidance on transparency and a decision to continue work on market mechanisms without a finalized Article 6 text, prompting statements from leaders of Brazil, Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay insisting on further negotiation. The meeting advanced technical work on the Global Stocktake process and on frameworks for finance mobilization involving institutions like the Green Climate Fund and the Multilateral Development Banks.

Protests, Side Events, and Civil Society Engagement

Outside the IFEMA venue, activists from Extinction Rebellion, Fridays for Future, Greenpeace, 350.org, Sierra Club, Friends of the Earth, and indigenous delegations from Mapuche, Quechua, and Pacific island communities staged demonstrations calling for greater ambition from United States, Brazil, Australia, and Canada. Conference grounds hosted hundreds of side events featuring speakers from Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, World Bank, International Energy Agency, Oxford University, Harvard University, MIT, Columbia University, private sector representatives from IKEA, Microsoft, Google, Amazon, financial institutions including BlackRock, HSBC, Deutsche Bank, and civil society roundtables. Youth delegates, labor unions like International Trade Union Confederation, and faith groups including Vatican representatives engaged in policy dialogues and climate justice forums.

National Pledges and Commitments

Several parties announced unilateral commitments and policy shifts: European Union reiterated the goal of the European Green Deal; Chile and Spain highlighted national neutrality aspirations; New Zealand and Norway emphasized emissions targets linked to forestry policies; Japan and South Korea discussed hydrogen and low-carbon strategies; China and India reiterated nationally determined trajectories while detailing investments in renewable energy projects with firms such as State Grid Corporation of China and Adani Group. Financial pledges to the Green Climate Fund and climate adaptation funds were made by countries including Germany, United Kingdom, France, Sweden, and Canada alongside private finance commitments from BlackRock, Goldman Sachs, and consortiums of pension funds.

Reception, Criticism, and Impact

The conference received mixed assessments from leaders of United Nations, European Commission, and climate scientists at Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change; activists and negotiators from Small Island Developing States, Least Developed Countries, and Youth Climate Strikers criticized the slow progress on market rules and perceived insufficient ambition from major emitters like United States, China, India, and Brazil. Commentators in outlets associated with institutions such as The Economist editorial boards, think tanks including Brookings Institution, Chatham House, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and environmental law scholars at University of Cambridge and Yale University debated implications for implementation of the Paris Agreement and global mitigation pathways.

Legacy and Subsequent Developments

The conference influenced subsequent diplomatic activity including preparatory work for the COP26 and renewed commitments by parties during bilateral meetings among leaders from United States, China, and European Union. Technical outputs informed updates to NDCs submitted by Mexico, Chile, Canada, and New Zealand, and spurred private-sector initiatives in carbon markets that engaged institutions such as International Civil Aviation Organization discussions on CORSIA and multilateral finance channels like the Green Climate Fund. The unresolved elements of Article 6 carried forward into later negotiations and shaped advocacy by civil society, indigenous peoples, and subnational actors including C40 Cities.

Category:United Nations Climate Change Conferences