Module 15: UNFCCC &

international IPCC
negotiations
 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
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 Module 15 outline

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Adaptation activities in
the UNFCCC
UNFCCC WHO
support
IPCC

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

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 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.”
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 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.

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UNFCCC, its partners & relations

UN Professional
Organizations Groups

NGOs
Private
sector

AWG
-DP

SBSTA SBI

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 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
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 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.

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 The 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
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyoto_protocol
emission targets 13
Activities under the
UNFCCC related to
adaptation
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Adaptation mechanisms under
the UNFCCC

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 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)

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 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
 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

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 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

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 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

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 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
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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
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 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

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Health in National Communications

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 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
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 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
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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

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

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 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)

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 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
 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
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WHO support for global
action on climate change
& health
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World Health Assembly & climate
change

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 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
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 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

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First WHO Conference on Health &
Climate, 2014

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 4
The Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change
(IPCC)
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 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
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IPCC organization

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 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

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 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

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 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

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IPCC Assessment process

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Any questions on
the IPCC?

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What we covered in Module 15

4
Adaptation activities in
the UNFCCC
UNFCCC WHO
IPCCC
support

45
 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
 What action might
you take in your
work, given what you
learnt in Module 15?
 Coming up next…

Module 16:
Mitigation &co-benefits

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