The document discusses key aspects of international climate change negotiations and agreements under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). It outlines activities related to adaptation under the UNFCCC, including the Nairobi Work Programme, National Adaptation Programmes of Action, National Communications, and adaptation funds. It also describes the role of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in providing scientific assessments to inform UNFCCC negotiations.

1. Module 15: UNFCCC &
international IPCC
negotiations

2. Key messages in Module 15
• The United Nations Framework on Climate Change
(UNFCCC) is an international process for
negotiating agreements on climate change
• A series of agreements have been reached on
promoting adaptation, including establishing
international funding for adaptation
• Health has been poorly represented in the
agreements & adaptation funding
• The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
(IPCC) provides comprehensive scientific
assessments to inform the negotiations
2

3. Module 15 outline
Adaptation
activities in the
UNFCCC
WHO
support
UNFCCC
3
4
IPCC

4. The United Nations
Framework
Convention on Climate
Change (UNFCCC) 4

5. United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change
• The science & politics of climate change are more
than 100 years old. Historically important
conferences include:
– Toronto Conference on The Changing Atmosphere:
Implications for Global Security in 1988
– UN Conference on Human Environment held in 1972
• The United Nations Framework Convention on
Climate Change (UNFCCC) was adopted at the UN
Conference on Environment & Development in Rio de
Janeiro in 1992
5

6. UNFCCC
• International treaty to address challenges of climate
change
• 192 countries have ratified
• Entered into force on 21 March 1994
The Convention:
• Recognizes the global, shared problem
• Provides a framework for discussion
• Supports first steps: reporting, assessment, planning
• Establishes principle of "common but differentiated
responsibilities"
• Covers mitigation & adaptation
6

7. Article 2
“The ultimate objective of this Convention & any related
legal instruments that the Conference of the Parties
may adopt is to achieve, in accordance with the relevant
provisions of the Convention, stabilisation of
greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a
level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic
interference with the climate system. Such a level
should be achieved within a time frame sufficient to
allow ecosystems to adapt naturally to climate change,
to ensure that food production is not threatened, & to
enable economic development to proceed in a
sustainable manner.”
7

8. UNFCCC on health
UNFCCC text definition
“Adverse effects of climate change: changes in the physical
environment or biota resulting from climate change which have
significant deleterious effects on the composition, resilience or
productivity of natural & managed ecosystems or on the
operation of socio-economic systems or on human health &
welfare.”
UNFCC commitments
Paragraph 1 (f): All Parties…shall “take climate change
considerations into account, to the extent feasible, in their
relevant social, economic & environmental policies & actions, &
employ appropriate methods, for example impact assessments,
formulated & determined nationally, with a view to minimizing
adverse effects on the economy, on public health & on the
quality of the environment, of projects or measures undertaken
by them to mitigate or adapt to climate change.”
8

9. UNFCCC on health
Paragraphs 4, 8 & 9:
Developed countries’ responsibilities to assist developing
countries to adapt to climate change, with particular
attention to the LDCs.
Article 4.1 (f)
Takes climate change considerations into account, to the extent
feasible, in their relevant social, economic & environmental
policies & actions, & employ appropriate methods, for example
impact assessments, formulated & determined nationally, with a
view to minimizing adverse effects on the economy, on public
health & on the quality of the environment, of projects or
measures undertaken by them to mitigate or adapt to climate
change.
9

10. UNFCCC, its partners & relations
AWG
-DP
UN
Organizations
NGOs
Private
sector
SBI
SBSTA
Nairobi Work Plan
Professional
Groups
10

11. Subsidiary Body for Scientific &
Technological Advice (SBSTA)
• SBSTA supports the work of the COP & the MOP
through the provision of timely information & advice
on scientific & technological matters as they relate
to the Convention or its Kyoto Protocol
• Key areas of work for SBSTA are:
• Impacts, vulnerability, & adaptation to climate change
• Emissions from deforestation & forest degradation in
developing countries
• Promoting the development & transfer of environment-
friendly technologies
• Technical work to improve the guidelines for preparing &
reviewing greenhouse gas emission inventories from
Annex I Parties
11

12. Subsidiary Body for
Implementation (SBI)
• SBI & SBSTA work together on cross-cutting issues
that touch on their areas of expertise, including:
– Capacity building
– Vulnerability of developing countries to climate change &
response measures
– The Kyoto Protocol mechanisms
• SBI and SBSTA meet in parallel, at least twice a year.
When they are not meeting in conjunction with the
COP, the subsidiary bodies usually convene at the
seat of the secretariat in Bonn, Germany.
12

13. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyoto_protocol
• Reaffirmed responsibility of all countries
• Set GHG targets for industrialized countries
Black = Annex 1
countries agreeing to
below base year GHG
emission targets
Grey = Annex 1
countries agreeing to
base year GHG
emission targets 13
The Kyoto Protocol

14. Activities under the
UNFCCC related to
adaptation
14

15. Adaptation mechanisms under
the UNFCCC
15

16. Activities under the UNFCCC
related to adaptation
1. The Nairobi Work Program (NWP) & other
adaptation agreements
2. National Adaptation Programmes of Action
(NAPAs)
3. National Communications
4. Adaptation funds
– Global Environment Facility (GEF)
16

17. 1. The Nairobi Work Programme
(NWP)
The Nairobi work program on impacts, vulnerability, &
adaptation to climate change assists all Parties, in
particular developing countries including LDCs & SIDS,
to:
• Improve their understanding &
assessment of impacts,
vulnerability & adaptation; &
• Make informed decisions on
practical adaptation actions

18. The Nairobi Work Programme
9 areas of work:
• Climate-related risks & extreme events
• Adaptation planning & practices
• Socio-economic information
• Methods & tools
• Data & observations
• Economic diversification
• Research
• Climate modeling, scenarios &
downscaling
• Technology for adaptation
18

19. NWP implementation
3 modes of implementation
• Activities mandated by the SBSTA
• Furthering the reach of mandated activities
• Catalyzing new & innovative action
• NWP Partner organizations, institutions,
experts, & communities
• Action Pledges - action by partners to engage
with & enhance the work of the program
19

20. NWP implementation
Adaptation priorities for health
• Carry out research, surveys & outreach
• Develop a general health strategy across agencies
• Greater campaign on climate change & health for
children
• Develop programmes & training to empower the
health community
• Develop strategy for climate-related risks in the
health sector
• Utilize traditional knowledge
20

21. NWP: WHO’s call for action
WHO pledges to carry out the following
specific actions:
• Strengthening of health systems
• Outreach & advocacy
• Monitoring, surveillance & forecasting
• Health development
• Research & knowledge
• Partnerships
21

22. Subsequent adaptation agreements
• Bali Action Plan (2007) identified adaptation as
one of the key building blocks (shared vision,
mitigation, adaptation, technology & financial
resources) for a strengthened future response
to climate change
• Cancun Adaptation Framework (CAF) (2010) to
enhance action on adaptation, including
through international cooperation
• Established a UNFCCC Adaptation Committee
• Durban (2011), Doha (2012) & Warsaw (2013)
advanced implementation of the CAF
22

23. 2. National Communications
All Parties must report on the steps they are
taking or envisage undertaking to implement
the Convention:
• National Communications Annex I
• National Communications from Non-Annex I
Parties
23

24. Health in National Communications
24

25. 3. National Adaptation
Programmes of Action (or NAPAs)
• NAPAs provided an important way to
prioritize urgent adaptation needs for Least
Developed Countries
• They drew on existing information &
community-level input to identify adaptation
projects required now in order to enable
these countries to cope with the immediate
impacts of climate change
25

26. 4. Adaptation funds
• Least developed country fund
• Special climate change fund
– Set up to finance projects relating to adaptation;
technology transfer & capacity building; energy, transport,
industry, agriculture, forestry & waste management; &
economic diversification
• Adaptation fund
– Set up under the Kyoto Protocol to finance the full costs of
adaptation in developing countries that are parties to the
Kyoto Protocol. It may be replaced by the Green Climate
Fund.
• Green climate fund
26

27. Global Environment Facility (GEF)
• A global partnership among 178 countries to
address global environmental issues while
supporting national sustainable
development initiatives
• The designated financial mechanism for the
UNFCCC (among others)
• GEF supports projects in climate change
mitigation & climate change adaptation
27

28. 28
Memory challenge!
Name 2 different activities
related to adaptation under
the UNFCCC

29. Activities under the UNFCCC
related to adaptation
1. The Nairobi Work Program (NWP) & other
adaptation agreements
2. National Adaptation Programmes of Action
(NAPAs)
3. National Communications
4. Adaptation funds
– Global Environment Facility (GEF)
29

30. International climate change
agreements are critical, but…..
• Limitations on mitigation actions
• Kyoto Protocol inadequate to meaningfully reduce
climate change
• Possible mitigation measures have very different
health implications
• No obligations for developing nations that will
become large emitters in near future
• Problems with adaptation
• Funding from rich nations is voluntary & complex to
access
• Health is poorly represented
30

31. Health should be central in
negotiations
• Main reasons for concern
(e.g. disasters, food shortage,
displacement disease) are
health & wellbeing issues
• Most energy & environment
decisions (e.g. choice, use of
fuel sources) have major direct
health implications
• Addressing climate change = sustainable
development = health protection
31

32. 32
WHO support for global
action on climate change
& health

33. World Health Assembly & climate
change
33

34. WHO Global Action Plan 2009
Aim: Support health systems in all countries, identify
strategies & actions, share knowledge & good
practices
Four objectives for WHO:
1. Advocacy & awareness raising
2. Engage in partnerships with other UN agencies &
other sectors at national, regional & international
levels
3. Promote & support the generation of scientific
evidence
4. Strengthen health systems to cope with the health
threats posed by climate change
34

35. WHO Global Action Plan 2009
Planned outputs:
• Enhance capacity for assessing & monitoring the
health vulnerability, risks & impacts due to climate
change
• Identify effective strategies & actions to protect
human health, & particularly the most vulnerable
groups
• Share knowledge & good practices on health
system actions
35

36. First WHO Conference on Health &
Climate, 2014
36

37. 37
The Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change
(IPCC)
4

38. IPCC overview
• Formed in 1988 by the United Nations
Environment Programme & the World
Meteorological Organization to conduct
assessments of the state of knowledge of
climate change, the vulnerabilities to &
consequences of any changes, & the options
to avoid, prepare for, & respond to changes
• All governments that signed either the UNEP
or WMO convention are members of the
IPCC
38

39. IPCC organization
39

40. Role of Governments
• Governments request the scientific
community to conduct comprehensive
assessments
• Governments elect a Bureau to ensure
assessments are conducted following the IPCC
Rules & Procedures
• Proposed outlines are discussed & approved
line-by-line by the governments in a Plenary
• Bureau approves the chapter author teams
– Based on scientific expertise, geography, & gender
40

41. Role of Governments
• Governments participate in the review
process & in the IPCC Plenary sessions,
where main decisions about the IPCC work
program are taken & reports are accepted,
adopted, & approved
• Summary for Policymakers approved line-by-
line by the governments in a final Plenary
41

42. IPCC: correcting misperceptions
• Does not conduct research or monitor trends
• Does conduct comprehensive assessments
• Does provide statements that are policy-
relevant & policy-neutral
• Review is an essential part of the IPCC
process, to ensure an objective &
comprehensive assessment
• Differing viewpoints existing within the
scientific community are reflected in the IPCC
reports 42

43. IPCC Assessment process
43

44. 44
Any questions on
the IPCC?

45. What we covered in Module 15
Adaptation
activities in the
UNFCCC
WHO
support
UNFCCC
45
4
IPCCC

46. Learning from Module 15
• The United Nations Framework on Climate Change
(UNFCCC) is an international process for
negotiating agreements on climate change
• A series of agreements have been reached on
promoting adaptation, including establishing
international funding for adaptation
• Health has been poorly represented in the
agreements & adaptation funding
• The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
(IPCC) provides comprehensive scientific
assessments to inform the negotiations
46

47. What action might
you take in your
work, given what you
learnt in Module 15?

48. Coming up next…
Module 16:
Mitigation &co-benefits
48