World Not Standing Still on Climate Change - UNFCCC Head

Bonn, Germany 1-12 June 2009

• © UNESCO/E. Joo

UNESCO's Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) participates in special session at United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA-30) "Meeting the Needs of the UNFCCC Through Improved Climate Observations".

A special session dedicated to the role of Climate, Ocean, Terrestrial, Atmospheric and Space-based observing systems within the UNFCCC is being held Tuesday, 2 June 2009, during the SBSTA-30 meetings in Bonn. Sponsored by the GCOS, GOOS, WHO, ICSU, FAO, UNEP and in partnership with ESA, CEOS and GEO, the state and readiness of the systems in place to provide climate observations will be demonstrated.

UNESCO's IOC is taking part in the UNFCCC climate talks with a special session on the status of the climate observing systems, in preparation for COP-15 later this year. The UNFCCC bodies, including SBSTA-30, the Subsidiary Body on Implementation (SBI-30), the sixth session of the Ad Hoc working Group on the Long-term Cooperative Action under the Convention (AWG-LCA) and the eighth session of the Ad Hoc Working Group-Kyoto Protocol (AWG-KP), all meet in Bonn, Germany from 1 to 12 June 2009.

The central draft negotiating documents which will form the basis of an ambitious and effective international response to climate change, have been posted on the UNFCCC meetings site. “This document marks an important point on our road,” said UNFCCC Executive Secretary Yvo de Boer. “It's the first time a real negotiating text will be on the table which can serve as a basis for governments to start drafting a Copenhagen agreed outcome,” he added.

The text covers the issues of a shared vision for long-term cooperative action, along with enhanced action on adaptation, mitigation and finance, technology and capacity building. The UN’s top climate change official pointed to “encouraging developments” in the area of climate change negotiations over the past 100 days. “Within the talks, we have an almost complete list of industrialised nations’ pledges to cut emissions after 2012, so governments can see now more clearly where they are in comparison to each other, and can build a higher ambition on that basis,” Yvo de Boer said.

Contact:
T. Gross, GOOS Programme Office, IOC

Related links:
::  United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
::  Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC)
::  Flyer of the event (More)

• Source:UNESCO SC
• 01-06-2009