C 0 6112 419-IED U S Department of State Case No F-2016-01641 Doc No 006112419 Date 09 19 2017 CLASSI_ FI CATI ON Page A o1F From Sent To Subject UNCLASSI FI ED 4 SMART Archive RELEASE IN FULLI 6 23 2015 1 45 34 PM SMART Core Bonn Climate Change Negotiations Session Important though Incremental Progress Made on Road to a Paris Agreement IDECONTROLLED UNCLASSIFIED SBU REVIEW AUTHORITY David Van Valkenburg Senior Reviewer MRN Date DTG From Action E O TAGS Captions Reference 15 STATE 74418 Jun 23 2015 231742Z JUN 15 SECSTATE WASHDC ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE Rou77NE 13526 SENV KGHG KSCA ECON UNFCCC SENSITIVE A 15 STATE 26614 B 14 STATE 145562 C 14 STATE 76344 Bonn Climate Change Negotiations Session Important though Incremental Progress Made on Road to a Paris Agreement Subject 1 SBU SUMMARY Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change UNFCCC met in Bonn Germany from June 1-11 2015 and made incremental progress toward an international climate change agreement to be adopted in Paris in December 2015 At the June session Parties sought to streamline and consolidate the 90-page negotiating text developed in Geneva in February 2015 but Parties did not make substantive compromises on the various policy options in the text Though progress was slow the co-chairs of the process secured the trust of Parties and left with a mandate to prepare a non-paper that further consolidates text and provides guidance on which provisions are best addressed in the agreement itself versus accompanying decisions This non-paper will be released on July 24 2015 and will allow Parties to immediately begin substantive negotiations at the next negotiation session from August 31-September 4 2015 In addition the United States and other Parties continued discussions in the margins about possible landing zones for the key issues in the negotiations END SUMMARY The slow and deliberate but to be expected process of negotiating a climate change agreement 2 SBU The 195 Parties to the UNFCCC are negotiating a climate change agreement applicable to all Parties to be adopted in Paris in December 2015 and go into effect from 2020 The United States is seeking a concise agreement that provides a framework for climate change action for years to come 3 SBU Parties started the June session with the task of streamlining a 90-page negotiating text developed in Geneva in February 2015 The text is a lengthy compilation of all Parties' proposals and contains many contradictory or duplicative provisions Parties spent two weeks attempting to make the existing text more orderly focusing on consolidating duplicative provisions and highlighting areas of agreement Coming into the session the United States expected the process to be slow and this proved to be the case With over five months of negotiations remaining before COP-21 Parties remain unwilling to give up their positions Nonetheless the United States and many other developed and CLASS FI CATI ON Page 7 o-F UNCLASSI FI ED 4 UNCLASSIFIED U S Department of State Case No F-2016-01641 Doc No C06112419 Date 09 19 2017 C0 6112 419 IED U S Department of State Case No F-2016-01641 Doc No C06112419 Date 09 19 2017 CLASSI FI CATI ON Page 2 o1F 4 UNCLASSI FI ED developing countries are pushing for the process to move more quickly 4 SBU Discussions first focused on a mechanical streamlining of text and consolidation of options Parties held firm to their options not seeing this as the time to compromise on their positions Facilitators captured consolidated options and reflections in a streamlined version of the Geneva text of 85 pages as well as a working document containing general observations and consolidated options to accompany the Geneva text Subsequently discussions on some topics transitioned from streamlining text to unpacking proposals This allowed Parties to begin to discuss the details 'of their respective positions and there was some helpful identification of areas of convergence and divergence In the closing plenary Parties gave the co-chairs a mandate to further streamline and consolidate text after the session and provide guidance on which issues are best addressed in the agreement itself versus accompanying decisions The cochairs secured this mandate because of general frustration with the pace of the progress Parties were making and as a result of the trust they had built with Parties through the transparent and inclusive manner in which they have conducted their work to date Their non-paper will be released on July 24 2015 and if accepted by Parties will allow Parties to begin substantive negotiations at the next session in August 2015 5 SBU On the margins of the June session U S officials met with counterparts bilaterally and in groups from other developed countries and developing countries to discuss the way forward and common ground This socializing of positions is critical in preparing Parties for the stage when compromises will be needed to conclude an agreement Process through Paris 6 SBU There are three more formal UNFCCC negotiating sessions in 2015 in August and then in October in Bonn Germany and the 21St Conference of the Parties COP in December in Paris Discussions at the August session will focus on the co-chairs' non-paper and we expect to have specific substantive discussions on how to resolve differences on major issues The October session will likely include a ministerial segment to further develop landing zones on key issues 7 SBU In addition to formal sessions Parties will continue to meet informally throughout 2015 The United States will convene the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate MEF in July September and possibly November to bring together leading developed and developing countries to focus on landing zones for the key issues in the negotiations Further the President the Secretary and senior U S officials will raise the negotiations and the need to submit INDCs as a priority matter in bilateral meetings with key counterparts In addition the Peruvian COP Presidency and incoming French COP Presidency will host a number of informal meetings throughout the year on the key issues related to the agreement The French said they were looking at holding ministerial meetings July 20-21 and on September 7 Presentations on countries' post-2020 targets to reduce emissions 8 SBU At the Bonn session the United States delivered two presentations on the U S target of reducing emissions by 26- 28 percent below 2005 levels in 2025 our so-called intended nationally determined contribution or INDC These presentations were warmly received and further cement the United States as a leader in transparency Eight other Parties also presented on their INDCs and we expect additional countries will present at the remaining negotiation sessions this year 9 SBU As of June 19 2015 12 countries 39 counting the EU as its 28-member states have formally submitted INDCs to the UNFCCC These include Switzerland the European Union the United States Norway Mexico Gabon Russia Liechtenstein Andorra Canada Ethiopia and Morocco These countries combined with China which announced its target last November but has not yet submitted its INDC account for over half of global emissions based on 2012 emissions data We expect many more countries to come forward with INDCs before Paris Enhancing pre-2020 ambition 10 SBU On enhancing mitigation ambition before 2020 -the period before the new agreement is to take effect - Parties discussed elements for a decision in Paris The United States and other developed countries supported the existing mandate of Workstream 2 to focus on mitigation ambition including furthering the technical examination process to CLASSI FI CATI ON Page 2 o-F4 UNCLASSI FI ED UNCLASSIFIED U S Department of State Case No F-2016-01641 Doc No 006112419 Date 09 19 2017 C 0 6112 419-IED U S Department of State Case No F-2016-01641 Doc No C06112419 Date 09 19 2017 CLASSI Fi CATI ON Paige 3 of 4 UNCLASSI FI ED explore mitigation opportunities while the G-77 supported broadening Workstream 2 to include work on financial support technology and adaptation Otherissues Successful outcome in the REDD negotiations 11 SBU In Bonn negotiators concluded discussions under the UNFCCC on guidance for developing countries seeking to reduce emissions from forests known as REDD The three draft decisions are expected to be formally adopted at COP21 in Paris These decisions complete the full methodological package to guide implementation of actions including measuring and monitoring to reduce emissions from forests in developing countries With this Parties agreed to close the REDD agenda items under the UNFCCC Developing country transparency of climate change action 12 SBU One issue raised in Bonn was the failure of most developing countries to submit their required biennial reports on actions they are taking to address climate change This requirement which originated in the Cancun negotiations in 2010 roughly parallels a similar process for developed countries and includes a technical analysis of the countries' report followed by a formal question and answer session The first technical analysis occurred in mid-May 2015 and the first Q A session will likely occur at COP-21 in Paris Troublingly only 13 developing countries -10% of the total in the UNFCCC have so far submitted their biennial update reports although the reports were due on December 31 2014 In Bonn the United States and other developed countries strongly encouraged all developing countries to submit these reports as soon as possible emphasizing the importance of regular reporting and review to trust-building 2013-2015 Review 13 SBU The June session included a discussion of the 2013-15 Review intended to assess 1 the adequacy of the long-term global goal of limiting warming to below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and 2 progress towards achieving this long-term global goal The topic is not without controversy since small islands have rejected the 2 degree goal as insufficient and are seeking agreement on a new long-term goal to limit warming to below 1 5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels Other developing countries are using this forum to argue that developed countries are providing insufficient financial and technical support to developing countries Most countries arrived at the session expecting to negotiate a substantive text However a small group of Parties led by Saudi Arabia was successful in limiting the Bonn outcome to purely procedural conclusions The issue will be taken up again in Paris where it is mandated to conclude Response Measures 14 SBU Negotiations on the impact of the implementation of response measures allow countries to discuss how addressing climate change may positively or negatively affect their societies and economies though oil-producing or trade-exposed countries attempt to steer the discussion toward negative economic impacts including the possible need for compensation Negotiations in Bonn concluded by forwarding a compromise draft decision text that will be the basis for consideration at COP-21 in Paris While the text contains problematic elements particularly the establishment of a permanent body on response measures all Parties left pleased with the progress made at this session which is an important step ahead of Paris Agriculture 15 SBU The UNFCCC made incremental progress as it gingerly entered the field of discussing the sensitive issue of agriculture and climate change It held technical workshops on early warning systems and contingency plans in relation to extreme weather events and on risk assessments These steps may pave the way for tackling the more challenging topics of the role of agriculture in mitigation and adaptation in this area CLASS FI CATI ON Page 3 o-F UNCLASSI Fi ED 4 UNCLASSIFIED U S Department of State Case No F-2016-01641 Doc No C06112419 Date 09 19 2017 C 0 6112 419-IED U S Department of State Case No F-2016-01641 Doc No C06112419 Date 09 19 2017 CLASSk Fl CATI ON P6g'e 4 o1F 4 UNCLASSI FI ED 16 U Talking Points v Parties worked hard at the recent Bonn negotiating session and made some progress towards a more concise text that will form an important basis for negotiations leading up to COP-21 in Paris The slow pace was not unexpected given the stage we are at in the negotiating process Nonetheless we would have liked to have gone further at this last session in unpacking Parties' substantive ideas and identifying areas of convergence It is critical that we make substantial progress at our next session in August if we are to achieve a successful outcome in Paris We look forward to beginning negotiations in earnest in August with a view to identifying areas of convergence and developing solutions to the key issues in the negotiations We look forward to working with your delegation and are happy to engage with you on key issues before the August meeting Signature Kerry Drafted By Cleared By Approved By Released By Info OES_EGC Rakestraw Andrew R OES EGC Chan Christina OES EGC Lattimer Timothy P OES EGCOriscoll Richard J L OES Johnson Karen OES EGC Rakestraw Andrew R S SECC Talley Trigg OES_EGC Pederson Kari J Rakestraw Andrew R RouTwE Pederson Kari J Dissemination Rule Archive Copy Rou77NE UNCLASSIFIED SBU CLASSI FI CATI ON Page 4 o1F 4 UNCLASSI FI ED UNCLASSIFIED U S Department of State Case No F-2016-01641 Doc No C06112419 Date 09 19 2017