COP22: Musings on Marrakech
The COPs always have a touch of the circus about them, and Marrakech was no exception. The nightly performances from the local musicians playing traditional Malhun greeting delegates as they left the vast site, and the sprawling bazars of the city ensured that.
I have been coming to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change meetings (or Conference of the Parties as they are technically known – you have to become a fan of TLAs, and indeed any length of acronym if you are to survive the COP process) for 9 years now. And I have watched as the meetings have morphed and grown, from the largely state-based and somewhat abstract policy negotiations, into the richer, multi-stakeholder events they are today which now focus on actions and implementation almost as much as negotiations.
Indeed, it may be fair to summarise that the most significant outcomes from COP22 were not the technical policy decisions but the action-oriented announcements. Yes, it was a slow year for the negotiations – it was always going to be after the accomplishments of Paris. But there is a growing recognition and expectation for things now to focus more on actions rather than words – achieving the targets that Paris made clear. And that means increasingly people are looking to new technologies and initiatives and how to scale them up. There were announcements of national 2050 low-emissions development strategies, 100% renewables pledges by 47 vulnerable countries, and an OECD roadmap to $100bn in climate finance by 2020 to name just a few.
IPIECA engaged in Marrakech through its role as an official observer, as we do every year. This year saw us launch our new publication, Exploring Low Emissions Pathways, at a side-event in the IETA Business pavilion. The report looks at how it is possible to achieve the long-term aims society has set itself and the key elements necessary to do so.
The variety of forums, initiatives and platforms springing up within and beyond the COPs present an opportunity. Oil and gas needs to demonstrate its commitment to meeting the challenge, and in doing so, open people’s minds to the likelihood that we will be around for a long-time to come. And that with technologies like CCS that doesn’t have to be a bad thing for the climate. In fact, it could be very good, if you look at the assessment of costs, CCS offers one of the cheapest ways to achieve long-term climate objectives. It won’t be an easy argument to win, but it is critical for the future of the sector as well as the success of the Paris Agreement.
You may be wondering what the fate of the Paris Agreement will be, following the US election result. On the ground in Marrakech, the result surprised the negotiators as much as it appeared to surprise everyone else. But whilst there is a new uncertainty around the future of US action on climate change, the fundamentals of other countries views and motivations on climate action are different to where they were 15 years ago. There appears to be a resolve to act that won’t be so easily blown of course as it once might.
Progress here in Marrakech was slow and steady – workmanlike as some described it. But with the entry-into-force of the Paris Agreement less than one year after it was birthed, and the ink still wet on global deals on HFCs and aviation, 2016 will be recognised as a strong year for action on climate. I wouldn’t be surprised if 2017 is as well.
Download Exploring Low Emissions Pathways
About Rob Siveter
Rob is IPIECA’s Senior Manager for Climate Change, overseeing all of its climate and energy related activities. He has an MSc in Environmental Technology from Imperial College London, and also holds a degree in Computer Science (BSc).
