2016 United Nations Climate Change Conference

United Nations Climate Change Conference
Date 7 November 2016 (2016-11-07)–
18 November 2016 (2016-11-18)
Location Bab Ighli, Marrakech, Morocco
Also known as COP 21/CMP 12/CMA 1
Participants Parties to the UNFCCC
Website Venue site
UNFCCC site

The 2016 United Nations Climate Change Conference was a conference on climate change held in Marrakesh, Morocco from 7 to 18 November 2016.[1] It was the 22nd conference of the parties (COP22) to be held under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and was attended by delegates from 196 countries.

Organisation and logistics

The conference was presided over by Salaheddine Mezouar, the Moroccan Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation[2] and was held between 7 and 18 November 2016.[3] Approximately 20,000 participants were expected to attend.

On 2 May 2016, events firm GL Events signed the service contract. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations also lent its support to the preparation for COP 22".

Background

The Marrakesh Conference is a continuation of regular global summits organised by United Nations following the adoption of the Kyoto Protocol in 1997, whose application was limited to the period covering 2008-2012.

2009: Copenhagen (COP15)

The Copenhagen Conference was intended to follow on from Kyoto, and culminated in the Copenhagen Accord, a 3-page text laying out common international intentions regarding climate change (reducing greenhouse-gas emissions, limiting global warming to 2 °C and providing 30 billion dollars for 2010-2012). Despite these goals, the conference was generally considered a failure.[4][5]

2011: Durban (COP17)

The aim of the Durban Conference was to start negotiations from scratch in order to prepare the path for future negotiations. The Ah Hoc Working Group on the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action was created to "close the ambition gap" that existed between greenhouse-gas emission commitments made by nations and the aim to keep climate change below an increase of 2 °C.[6]

2014: Lima (COP20)

The priority of the Lima Conference was to redouble efforts to keep to the aim of keeping climate change under an increase of 2 °C between the present day and 2100. The conference opened with a preparatory document on a future COP21 agreement in Paris and by adopting a 37-page text.[7]

2015: Paris (COP21)

The 195 countries participating in the conference adopted the first worldwide climate agreement, a binding treaty that aims to limit climate change to a temperate increase of under 2 °C.[8]

Objectives of COP22

Official photo of the conference.

The ways in which the Paris Agreement will be applied, as well as the agenda for negotiations, were on the agenda for COP22.

Morocco intended to use COP22 as a means to showcase its commitment to fighting climate change. According to Hakima El Haite, the Moroccan Environment Minister, the conference was intended to be "one of innovation with regard to adapting to and alleviating the effects of climate change," as well as "an opportunity to develop functional tools as part of the Paris-Lima and Paris-Marrakesh Action Plans".[9] The financial responsibility for loss and damages, which was recognised under the Paris Agreement, was also debated during COP22, as well as transparency rules regarding the information provided by countries pertaining to the steps they take to reduce their greenhouse-gas emissions.

African dimension to COP22

On the margins of COP22, a summit involving "around 30 African heads of state" took place on 16 November 2016 in Marrakesh. This summit focused primarily on climate negotiations, in the backdrop of Africa being the part of the world that is the most threatened by global warming. On a more local note, the city of Marrakesh also took the opportunity to create for itself a "greener"; for example, it has provided 300 bicycles for public use as part of a municipal bicycle-sharing scheme.[10]

Criticisms and setbacks

The inclusion of fossil fuel lobby groups with observer status, including the World Coal Association, the Business Council of Australia, Business Europe, and the Business Roundtable, has been met with criticism.[11] Analysts suggested the election of Donald Trump in the 2016 United States Presidential race impeded efforts at the congress due to his regressive views on climate change.[12]

References

  1. ↑ Services, IISD Reporting. "Event: UNFCCC COP 22 | SDG Knowledge Hub | IISD". Retrieved 2016-11-10.
  2. ↑ Xinhua. "Maroc - Les préparatifs vont bon train à Marrakech pour la tenue de la COP22 en 2016 - Maghreb Emergent". www.maghrebemergent.com. Retrieved 2016-11-10.
  3. ↑ "COP22". cop22.ma. Retrieved 2016-11-10.
  4. ↑ "BBC News - Why did Copenhagen fail to deliver a climate deal?". news.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2016-11-10.
  5. ↑ Vidal, John; Stratton, Allegra; Goldenberg, Suzanne (2009-12-18). "Low targets, goals dropped: Copenhagen ends in failure". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2016-11-10.
  6. ↑ Change, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate. "Ad Hoc Working Group on the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action". unfccc.int. Retrieved 2016-11-10.
  7. ↑ Conference of the parties. Lima. 2014.
  8. ↑ "Paris Agreement - European Commission". ec.europa.eu. Retrieved 2016-11-10.
  9. ↑ "Ce que l'on sait sur la COP 22 organisée au Maroc". Al Huffington Post. Retrieved 2016-11-10.
  10. ↑ "Cop22: 300 vélos libre-service à Marrakech". Aujourd'hui le Maroc. Retrieved 2016-11-10.
  11. ↑ Slezak, Michael (6 November 2016). "Marrakech climate talks: giving the fossil fuel lobby a seat at the table". The Guardian. London, United Kingdom. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2016-11-07.
  12. ↑ Chomsky, Noam. "Noam Chomsky on the new Trump era". Youtube. Al Jazeera Upfront. Retrieved 2 December 2016.

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