We attend major international conferences on climate change in order to influence decision makers and secure positive outcomes for the world's poorest people.
The United Nations holds an annual conference of the parties (COP) on climate change. DFID representatives have attended for many years as part of the UK delegation.
A different country hosts the COP each year.
In June 2012, Rio hosted the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development which marked the 20th anniversary of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development.
The Doha Summit 2012
The 18th annual meeting of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP18) took place in Doha, Qatar, between November 26 and December 8, 2012. The conference was a further important step in the negotiations to conclude a future agreement on global action on climate change.
Key decisions taken at COP18 include:
- Approval of a high-level work-plan to guide the negotiation of a new legally binding deal, covering all countries to be agreed by 2015 and to come into force from 2020.
- Agreement of a second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol.
- Endorsement of South Korea as the host country of the Green Climate Fund.
- A number of countries made finance commitments for the near future (up to 2015) and countries were formally 'encouraged' to maintain at least Fast Start levels of climate finance from 2013-2015 (i.e. $10bn p.a. globally). The UK's highlighted its existing commitment to provide public finance to 2015 (through the £2.9 billion International Climate Fund).
Developed countries reported on the delivery of their Fast Start finance pledges, which confirmed that the overall pledge - made at COP15 in Copenhagen - of providing approaching $30billion between 2010 and 2012 was on track to be met.
COP18 also decided to extend a work programme on long-term finance for a year, with the aim of helping developed countries identify pathways for scaling up climate finance for developing countries to meet the pledge of US $100 billion per year by 2020 from various sources in the context of meaningful mitigation action by developing countries.
For more information see:
The Durban Summit 2011
The UNFCCC COP17 conference took place in Durban, South Africa between 28 November and 11 December 2011. The talks built on the outcome of the Cancun conference and resulted in a significant step forward with the adoption of the "Durban Platform", a roadmap to a global legal agreement applicable to all parties.
Key outcomes from the agreements at the summit include:
- A roadmap for all countries to sign a legally binding deal in 2015. Negotiations for the new agreement will begin early in 2012, to conclude as early as possible. The commitments in the new agreement will take effect from 2020.
- Agreement to adopt, by next year, a second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol.
- Agreement on the design of the Green Climate Fund to support policies and activities in developing countries.
The Durban conference also agreed to establish a work programme to look at sources of long-term finance for developing countries, with the aim of mobilising at least $100 billion per year by 2020.
For more information on the outcome at Durban read our news story.