COP22

COP22
Name	Conference of the Parties (22nd session)
Common name	COP22
Date	7–18 November 2016
Location	Marrakech, Morocco
Venue	Palais des Congrès de Marrakech
Participants	Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change; observers from United Nations, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, European Union
Preceded by	2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference
Followed by	2017 United Nations climate change conference

COP22 The 22nd session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change convened in Marrakech, Morocco, in November 2016. The meeting assembled delegations from United States, China, India, European Union, Brazil and nearly 200 Parties alongside representatives from United Nations Development Programme, Green Climate Fund, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and major non‑state actors such as Bill Gates's Breakthrough Energy partners and the We Mean Business coalition. Discussions focused on implementing the Paris Agreement (2015) and advancing finance, transparency, and adaptation frameworks.

Background

The conference followed the historic adoption of the Paris Agreement (2015) at the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris, which set long‑term temperature goals and a framework for national pledges known as nationally determined contributions. The Marrakech session occurred amid shifting political dynamics after the 2016 United States presidential election, raising questions about major‑emitter commitments. Preparatory work had been coordinated through meetings of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice and the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Paris Agreement, with input from scientific assessments by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and finance guidance from the Organisation for Economic Co‑operation and Development.

Venue and Participants

The conference took place at the Palais des Congrès in Marrakech and included delegates from nearly all Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, ministers from Morocco and other host governmental delegations, and participation by heads of delegation from United Kingdom, Germany, France, Japan, Canada, Mexico, and South Africa. Observers included representatives from intergovernmental organizations such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, multilateral development banks including the European Investment Bank, non‑governmental organizations like World Wide Fund for Nature, industry coalitions such as We Mean Business coalition, and indigenous groups convened via the International Indigenous Peoples Forum on Climate Change.

Key Negotiations and Decisions

Delegates worked on modalities for implementation of the Paris Agreement (2015), addressing issues from transparency rules to global stocktake scheduling. Negotiations engaged the Least Developed Countries Group, the Alliance of Small Island States, the African Group, and the Umbrella Group alongside the European Union and Brazil. Party negotiations touched on the rules established under the 2011 Durban Platform for Enhanced Action and coordination with the Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage; legal advisers discussed the distinction between the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change provisions and the Paris framework. Parallel ministerial meetings included representatives from China and India on mitigation trajectories and from Morocco and Bangladesh on adaptation funding.

Nationally Determined Contributions and Implementation Measures

Parties focused on operationalizing nationally determined contributions submitted under the Paris Agreement (2015), with attention to transparency through the enhanced transparency framework. Technical workshops involved agencies such as the United Nations Environment Programme and the International Renewable Energy Agency to support transitions in energy systems and sectoral decarbonization pathways. Capacity‑building initiatives were promoted by the G77 and China grouping and facilitated by programs from the United Nations Development Programme and the Green Climate Fund to help India, Nigeria, and Indonesia implement renewable energy and resilience projects.

Climate Finance and the Green Climate Fund

Finance dominated negotiations, with Parties and finance ministers debating mobilization of public and private flows to meet the collective goal of USD 100 billion per year referenced in the Paris Agreement (2015). The Green Climate Fund used the platform to announce new funding pledges and project pipelines targeting adaptation and mitigation in Africa, Latin America, and Asia. Multilateral development banks including the World Bank and regional development banks discussed blended finance instruments alongside commitments from philanthropic actors such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and innovative initiatives championed by Mark Carney and the Bank of England on green finance.

Outcomes and Agreements

The session produced a set of Marrakech Action Proclamations and decisions to advance rule development for Paris implementation, including roadmaps for the transparency framework and guidance for the global stocktake process. The meeting reaffirmed commitments by Parties to implement nationally determined contributions and emphasized support for adaptation via the Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage. While formal adoption of the Paris rulebook was deferred to subsequent sessions, Parties agreed on work plans and timelines for completion and accelerated technical engagement through platforms such as the Nairobi Work Programme.

Impact and Legacy

The conference reinforced political momentum for implementing the Paris Agreement (2015) despite geopolitical uncertainty and catalyzed a range of follow‑on initiatives in finance, renewable energy, and resilience. It helped consolidate finance pipelines via the Green Climate Fund and spurred private‑sector coalitions including the We Mean Business coalition and the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy. Long‑term impacts included accelerated national policy development in Morocco, Kenya, Chile, and Costa Rica, expanded capacity‑building frameworks through the United Nations Development Programme, and a clearer timetable for completing the Paris implementation rulebook at subsequent meetings.

Category:United Nations climate change conferences