Paul V.

Desanker
Head, LDC and CB & Outreach Units,
UNFCCC Secretariat
Bonn, Germany
The UNFCCC, the Kyoto
Protocol and its mechanisms

IFAD 1
st
CLIMTRAIN Workshop, July 2008
The UNFCCC
Framework convention lays out an objective,
then allows for instruments to be developed over
time, e.g. Kyoto Protocol (till 2012)

Sets global to country commitments (mainly
funding related and national commitments e.g.
policies and measures to address climate
change)

Country-driven multilateral process to address
climate change

Conference of Parties (Ministerial Level once a
year), and technical session twice a year
(Subsidiary Bodies & Ad Hoc Working Groups)

SB 28 in June 2008; COP 14 and COP/MOP (KP) 4
in Dec 2008
Objective: Article 2
The ultimate objective of this Convention and any related legal
instruments that the Conference of the Parties may adopt is

to achieve, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the
Convention, stabilization 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 and
- to enable economic development to proceed in a sustainable
manner.
The UNFCCC subsidiary bodies
AWG-LCA
Bali Action Plan
SBI
SBSTA
Implementation
Knowledge and
technical basis
AWG-KP
The Kyoto Protocol
Main features
Legally binding targets for emissions of six major
greenhouse gases in industrialized countries
during first commitment period
New international market-based mechanisms,
creating a new commodity: carbon
Facilitate sustainable development and
additional support to developing countries on
adaptation
Entry into force on 16 February 2005
178 Parties (April 2008)

Emission Trading (ET):
exchanging emission allowances among
Kyoto Protocol Parties

Clean Development Mechanism (CDM):
credits for emissions avoided through
sustainable development projects in
developing countries (non-Annex I countries)
Joint Implementation (JI):
credits for emissions avoided through
projects in Annex I countries

The three Kyoto mechanisms
The three Kyoto mechanisms
Clean Development Mechanism
Projects in developing countries can earn
saleable credits for reducing/avoiding emissions
certified emission reductions (CERs)
The CERs can be used by countries with
commitments under KP toward meeting a part of
their targets
Host countries benefit from sustainable
development initiatives