Background: Negotiating Tracks

Currently there are two key negotiating groups at the UNFCCC: one working group is negotiating further commitments under the Kyoto Protocol after the first commitments expire in 2012 (AWG-KP), and another is negotiating for long term cooperative action after 2012 that will include countries and sectors that are not covered by the Kyoto Protocol (AWG-LCA). 

These two groups are negotiating in parallel and at the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) in Cancun in December 2010, the COP decided to extend the negotiating mandate of two groups.

Essentially, this means that because the working groups had not completed their negotiations in time for Copenhagen, their deadline has been extended till the next COP – COP17, to be held in Durban, South Africa at the end of 2011.

The AWGKP is negotiating emissions reductions commitments for Annex 1 (developed country) parties that are party to the Kyoto to take effect after 2012 after the end of the forst commitment period. It is also negotiating possible amendments to rules under the Protocol, which were established in the Marrakech Accords. Areas of possible rule changes include Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry accounting rules and rules around flexible mechanisms, including the Clean Development Mechanism.

The AWGLCA is negotiating an outcome on the four pillars of the Bali Action Plan. These are:

• enhanced action on mitigation -- including mitigation by developed countries, nationally appropriate mitigation actions by developing countries, reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries, mitigation of emissions from international shipping and civil aviation.
• enhanced action on adaptation
• enhanced action on the provision of finance to developing countries to fund mitigation and adaptation
• enhanced action on technology transfer to support sustainable development in developing countries.