A new chapter in the UN climate change negotiations? First steps under the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action

Abstract

This article discusses recent developments in the UN climate change negotiations in light of the Bonn Climate Change Conference in May 2012. It highlights the Bonn meeting as the first opportunity to assess the influence on the UNFCCC process of the Durban Package and the new Ad Hoc Working Group on the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action. It argues that the main impression from the Bonn meeting is that the Durban outcome has indeed affected the dynamics of the UNFCCC negotiations and holds potential for far-reaching changes. Provided that all goes well, the combination of new bodies and processes created in Cancun and Durban, the forthcoming Fifth Assessment Report by the IPCC, and the likely public pressure following its release could open a new chapter in the UNFCCC process and lead to a more effective multilateral response to the climate change challenge. Still, the combination of a palpable rift within G-77/China and traditional divides between developed and developing countries on issues such as finance and technology means that the road ahead is likely to be a difficult one.