Durban summit – COP 17, 2012

Major decisions taken at Durban Summit were-

-          Second commitment period of Kyoto Protocol is to be started in 2013 and will continue till 2020. The first commitment period of Kyoto Protocol was form 2005-2012.

-          Post- Kyoto Protocol agreement to be finalized by 2015 and launched by 2020, after the end of Kyoto Protocol.

-          Termination of ongoing negotiation process on Long Term Action (LCA) that was launched under Bali Action plan, and new negotiations under “Durban Platform for Enhanced Action’ will be started.

From India’s view point, three agenda were important:

(1)    Continuation of Kyoto Protocol in second commitment period. This was secured.

(2)    To ensure that India’s particular concern on equity, intellectual property rights, technology unilateral trade measures, neglected in previous rounds were integrated in future climate agenda.

(3)    Preserve the notion of Common but Differentiated Responsibilities (CBDR) as mentioned in UFCCC and Rio Declaration.

While India succeeded in slight mention of ‘equity’ principle, India did not get much support on issues mentioned above. On the other hand India agreed to somewhat legally binding treaty through “Durban Platform for Enhanced Action’. This Durban Platform calls for ‘widest possible cooperation by all countries ‘a preferred formulation of developed countries to include developing countries in legal commitments. It launches a new process to develop a ‘protocol, another legal instrument or an agreed outcome with legal force ‘by 2015 which is to be ‘applicable to all parties’ and enter into force from 2020.

The significance of the second commitment period of Kyoto Protocol “Even though second period covers only around 15% of global emissions but it are not useless. It will fill the gap until the beginning of new climate agreement after 2020. But more importantly, by keeping market based mechanisms such as the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) in fact, it will also serve as a basis for a globally binding treaty and a working carbon market in 2020. India too was interested in continuation of Second period, even though India did not have legally binding emission cuts, because India is actively using CDM for getting climate finance and technology.

Another outcome was that member countries for the first time agreed to consider the principle of ‘loss and damage’.  The principle of loss and damage calls for developing and undeveloped nations to be compensated for associated loss and damage from climate change (e.g. sea level rise, extreme weather) caused by wealthy, developed nations’ emissions.