COP24

COP24
Name	24th Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC
Other names	CMP14, CMA1.3
Date	2–15 December 2018
Location	Katowice, Silesia, Poland
Venue	International Congress Centre, Katowice
Participants	Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
Result	Katowice Climate Package; work programme decisions

COP24 COP24 was the 24th meeting of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change held in Katowice, Silesia, Poland in December 2018. The summit focused on operationalizing the Paris Agreement by producing rulebook decisions to guide transparency, reporting, and implementation, while receiving input from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and engaging European Union institutions, United States climate representatives, and numerous non-governmental organization delegations.

Background and objectives

The conference followed the entry-into-force of the Paris Agreement and occurred after the release of the IPCC Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5 °C; Parties sought to finalize the "rulebook" for Article 13 transparency, Article 6 cooperative mechanisms, and nationally determined contributions under Article 4. Delegations from the Alliance of Small Island States, Least Developed Countries, African Group of Negotiators, Umbrella Group, and G77 and China arrived to negotiate guidance for Green Climate Fund reporting, Adaptation Fund governance, and loss-and-damage modalities. Observers included World Wildlife Fund, Greenpeace International, Friends of the Earth, and business coalitions such as the We Mean Business coalition.

Venue and participation

Katowice, an industrial city in the Silesian Voivodeship, hosted ministers, negotiators, and experts at the International Congress Centre, adjacent to the Silesia City Center. National delegations included representatives from the People's Republic of China, India, Brazil, Russian Federation, Japan, Canada, Australia, and South Africa, alongside the European Commission and the UNFCCC Secretariat. Accredited observers comprised research institutions such as Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Stockholm Environment Institute, indigenous groups like the International Indian Treaty Council, labor organizations including the International Trade Union Confederation, and philanthropic entities such as the Rockefeller Foundation.

Key negotiations and outcomes

Negotiators produced the Katowice Climate Package, a set of decisions clarifying implementation of transparency frameworks, mitigation reporting, and carbon markets guidance under Article 6. Parties agreed on rules for greenhouse gas inventory reporting, common reporting tables, and enhanced transparency arrangements, influencing the work of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice. Deliberations over Article 6 yielded only partial outcomes, deferring complex issues to subsequent meetings and linking to mechanisms reminiscent of the Clean Development Mechanism established under the Kyoto Protocol. The session adopted decisions addressing the Talanoa Dialogue follow-up, long-term finance mobilization related to the Green Climate Fund, and capacity-building activities for UN Development Programme and UN Environment Programme projects.

Climate science and IPCC special report influence

The IPCC Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5 °C, adopted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, played a prominent role in negotiations and civil society advocacy, with scientists from Met Office Hadley Centre, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and European Space Agency briefing delegates. The report's synthesis of carbon budget pathways, mitigation options, and adaptation limits informed interventions by the Scientific Advisory Board and shaped calls from the High Ambition Coalition and the Climate Vulnerable Forum for strengthened nationally determined contributions and accelerated energy transitions involving actors like International Energy Agency and research networks such as IPCC Working Group I contributors.

Controversies and criticisms

The summit sparked controversy over the host country's coal policy and involvement of coal industry sponsors; NGOs such as Amnesty International and Environmental Defense Fund criticized perceived conflicts with Poland's state-owned coal companies and coal lobby groups. Debates around Article 6 carbon markets provoked pushback from the African Group and AOSIS over safeguards against double counting and environmental integrity, while analysts from the Grantham Research Institute and Carbon Brief highlighted shortcomings in ambition. Tensions emerged between representatives from the United States federal delegation and subnational actors including the Climate Mayors and private sector coalitions, alongside protests by indigenous rights groups and student movements inspired by activists associated with Fridays for Future.

Implementation and follow-up actions

Outcomes from the conference set the stage for subsequent meetings, including the 2019 session leading into COP25 and the ongoing Talanoa Dialogue stocktake, and informed submissions for updated nationally determined contributions under the Paris Agreement mechanism. The Katowice decisions guided procedural work by the UNFCCC Secretariat, the Subsidiary Body for Implementation, and the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Paris Agreement, influencing Green Climate Fund replenishment discussions, Adaptation Fund accreditation, and technical support delivered by entities like UNDP and World Bank climate finance programs. Civil society monitoring by Climate Action Network and academic assessments from institutions such as Columbia University and University of Oxford tracked implementation progress and compliance with transparency rules.

Category:United Nations climate change conferences