In their actions to achieve the objective of the Convention and to
implement its provisions, the Parties shall be guided, inter alia, by the following:

1. The Parties should protect the climate system for the benefit of present and
future generations of humankind, on the basis of equity and in accordance with
their common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities.
Accordingly, the developed country Parties should take the lead in combating
climate change and the adverse effects thereof.

2. The specific needs and special circumstances of developing country Parties,
especially those that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate
change, and of those Parties, especially developing country Parties, that would
have to bear a disproportionate or abnormal burden under the Convention,
should be given full consideration.

3. The Parties should take precautionary measures to anticipate, prevent or
minimize the causes of climate change and mitigate its adverse effects. Where
there are threats of serious or irreversible damage, lack of full scientific certainty
should not be used as a reason for postponing such measures, taking into
account that policies and measures to deal with climate change should be cost-
effective so as to ensure global benefits at the lowest possible cost. To achieve
this, such policies and measures should take into account different socio-
economic contexts, be comprehensive, cover all relevant sources, sinks and
reservoirs of greenhouse gases and adaptation, and comprise all economic
sectors. Efforts to address climate change may be carried out cooperatively by
interested Parties.

4. The Parties have a right to, and should, promote sustainable development.
Policies and measures to protect the climate system against human-induced
change should be appropriate for the specific conditions of each Party and
should be integrated with national development programmes, taking into
account that economic development is essential for adopting measures to
address climate change.

5. The Partles should cooperate to promote a supportive and open
International economic system that would lead to sustainable economic growth
and development in all Parties, particularly developing country Parties, thus
enabling them better to address the problems of climate change. Measures taken
to combat climate change, including unilateral ones, should not constitute a
· means of arbitrary or unjustifiable discrimination or a disguised restriction on
International trade.

1. All Parties, taking into account their common but differentiated
responsibilities and their specific national and regional development priorities,
objectives and circumstances, shall:

Develop, periodically update, publish and make available to the
Conference of the Parties, in accordance with Article 12, national
Inventories of anthropogenic emissions by sources and removals
by sinks of all greenhouse gases not controlled by the Montreal
Protocol, using comparable methodologies to be agreed upon by the
Conference of the Parties;

Formulate, implement, publish and regularly update national and,
where appropriate, regional programmes containing measures to
mitigate climate change by addressing anthropogenic emissions by
sources and removals by sinks of all greenhouse gases not controlled
by the Montreal Protocol, and measures to facilitate adequate
adaptation to climate change;

Promote and cooperate in the development, application and
diffusion, Including transfer, of technologies, practices and processes
that control, reduce or prevent anthropogenic emissions of
greenhouse gases not controlled by the Montreal Protocol in all
relevant sectors, including the energy, transport, Industry,
agriculture, forestry and waste management sectors;
Promote sustainable management, and promote and cooperate in
the conservation and enhancement, as appropriate, of sinks and
reservoirs of all greenhouse gases not controlled by the Montreal
Protocol, including biomass, forests and oceans as well as other
terrestrial, coastal and marine ecosystems;

Cooperate in preparing for adaptation to the impacts of climate
change; develop and elaborate appropriate and integrated plans for
coastal zone management, water resources and agriculture, and for
the protection and rehabilitation of areas, particularly in Africa,
affected by drought and desertification, as well as floods;

Take climate change considerations into account, to the extent
feasible, in their relevant social, economic and environmental
policies and actions, and employ appropriate methods, for example
Impact assessments, formulated and determined nationally, with a
view to minimizing adverse effects on the economy, on public health
and on the quality of the environment, of projects or measures
undertaken by them to mitigate or adapt to climate change;

7

(g)

(h)

(1)

=

(1)

Promote and cooperate in scientific, technological, technical,
socio-economic and other research, systematic observation and
development of data archives related to the climate system and
intended to further the understanding and to reduce or eliminate the
remaining uncertainties regarding the causes, effects, magnitude and
timing of climate change and the economic and social consequences
of various response strategies;

Promote and cooperate in the full, open and prompt exchange of
relevant scientific, technological, technical, socio-economic and legal
Information related to the climate system and climate change, and to
the economic and social consequences of various response strategies;
Promote and cooperate in education, training and public awareness
related to climate change and encourage the widest participation in
this process, Including that of non-governmental organizations; and
Communicate to the Conference of the Parties information related to
implementation, in accordance with Article 12.

2. The developed country Parties and other Parties included in Annex I
commit themselves specifically as provided for in the following:

(a)

Each of these Parties shall adopt national / policies and take
corresponding measures on the mitigation of climate change, by
limiting its anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases and
protecting and enhancing its greenhouse gas sinks and reservoirs.
<These policies and measures will demonstrate that developed
countries are taking the lead in modifying longer-term trends in
anthropogenic emissions consistent with the objective of the
Convention, recognizing that the return by the end of the present
decade to earlier levels of anthropogenic emissions of carbon dioxide
and other greenhouse gases not controlled by the Montreal Protocol
would contribute to such modification, and taking into account the
differences in these Parties' starting points and approaches, economic
structures and resource bases, the need to maintain strong and
sustainable economic growth, available technologies and other
individual circumstances, as well as the need for equitable and
appropriate contributions by each of these Parties to the global effort
regarding that objective. These Parties may implement such policies
and measures jointly with other Parties and may assist other Parties
in contributing to the achievement of the objective of the
Convention and, in particular, that of this subparagraph;

(b)

(c)

(d)

(e)

T

In order to promote progress to this end, each of these Parties shall
communicate, within six months of the entry into force of the
Convention for it and periodically thereafter, and in accordance with
Article 12, detailed information on its policies and measures referred
to in subparagraph (a) above, as well as on its resulting projected
anthropogenic emissions by sources and removals by sinks of
greenhouse gases not controlled by the Montreal Protocol for the
perlod referred to in subparagraph (a), with the aim of returning
individually or jointly to their 1990 levels these anthropogenic
emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases not
controlled by the Montreal Protocol. This Information will be
reviewed by the Conference of the Parties, at its first session and
periodically thereafter, In accordance with Article 7;

Calculations of emissions by sources and removals by sinks of
greenhouse gases for the purposes of subparagraph (b) above should
take into account the best available scientific knowledge, including
of the effective capacity of sinks and the respective contributions of
such gases to climate change. The Conference of the Parties shall
consider and agree on methodologies for these calculations at its first
session and review them regularly thereafter;

The Conference of the Parties shall, at its first session, review the
adequacy of subparagraphs (a) and (b) above. Such review shall be
carried out in the light of the best available scientific Information and
assessment on climate change and its impacts, as well as relevant
technical, social and economic Information. Based on this review,
the Conference of the Parties shall take appropriate action, which
may include the adoption of amendments to the commitments in
subparagraphs (a) and (b) above. The Conference of the Parties, at
Its first session, shall also take decisions regarding criteria for joint
Implementation as indicated in subparagraph (a) above. A second
review of subparagraphs (a) and (b) shall take place not later than 31
December 1998, and thereafter at regular intervals determined by the
Conference of the Parties, until the objective of the Convention is met;
Each of these Parties shall:

(1)

Coordinate as appropriate with other such Parties, relevant
economic and administrative instruments developed to achieve
the objective of the Convention; and

(II) Identify and periodically review its own policies and practices
which encourage activities that lead to greater levels of
anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases not controlled
by the Montreal Protocol than would otherwise occur;

This includes policies and measures adopted by regional economic integration organizations.

19

United States Statement on Advancing Article 4.1 Commitments
Third Session of the Ad Hoc Group on the Berlin Mandate
March 7, 1996

Mr. Chairman;

I would like to take this opportunity to convey our thoughts on this very important aspect of the Berlin Mandate: advancing the implementation of the Parties' existing commitments under Article 1 to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. I note that the Secretariat has once again prepared several useful documents relevant to this discussion and I would like to thank the Secretariat for its valuable and timely work in this

area.

At the second session of the AGBM, we heard presentations from a number of parties emphasizing the positive and diverse activities they are undertaking to implement their existing commitments under Article 4.1. We listened with interest to these presentations and were impressed with the wide array of activities. We are pleased that our cooperative work with many other countries through the U.S. Country Studies Program has played a valued role in their programs and activities addressing climate change.

As the Secretariat has noted in document FCCC/AGBM/1996/1/Add.1, advancing the implementation of Parties' commitments under Article 4.1 entails more than reporting on their current activities.

The United States believes there is a tremendous potential for all countries, including developing countries, to further their objectives for economic development and growth and to protect the earth's climate system at the same time. The IPCC Second Assessment Report concluded that there is a range of policies and actions to mitigate greenhouse gases that are appropriate, feasible, and cost-effective for all Parties. The IPCC report noted that many opportunities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at little or no cost, or even at a profit, are. available to developed and developing countries alike. By seizing these opportunities, all countries can, and must, contribute to changing the path of dramatic emissions growth that the world currently faces.

Finding and seizing these opportunities are, we believe, at the heart of the obligation of all countries to advance the implementation of existing commitments under Article 4.1.

There is much scope for developed and developing countries to work together in this endeavor. Through the Country Studies program, which I have already mentioned, the United States has been able to provide developing countries and countries with economies in transition with technical and financial help to understand the sources of greenhouse gas emissions and identify attractive options to reduce them. Through this process, and similar efforts by other countries, a number of countries have built invaluable planning capacities and technical capabilities for dealing with climate change. A few examples may help illustrate the breadth and significance of these opportunities:

Improved refrigerator designs consume less energy while eliminating ozone-destroying CFCs. More efficient refrigerators translate directly into reduced pressure on scarce capital for expansion of power production and transmission capacity. And with power demands reduced, the path of greenhouse gas emissions growth can be reduced. Design codes and product standards for buildings, appliances and other equipment may also be useful to developing countries.

Nutritional supplements can improve the health and productivity of cattle

Methane gas can be profitably recovered from coal beds before coal is mined, recovering fuel and reducing accident risks while preventing greenhouse emissions.

Countries can also improve conditions for economic development, climate protection and overal! environmental quality by identifying and eliminating market imperfections, barriers to technological development and diffusion, administrative inefficiencies and constraints, and legal instabilities. Such actions lay the foundation for a cost-effective and comprehensive long-term strategy for addressing the climate change problem.

The United States believes that all parties have the opportunity to learn from one another in carrying out their Article 4.1 commitments. The open exchange of experiences and information is critical to understanding, and overcoming barriers and identifying win-win solutions. To this end, we support the proposal of the G-77 and China for additional workshops as a valuable contribution to this process. There may also be value in additional meetings, perhaps on a regional basis, on opportunities to adopt best practices and other means to promote economic growth and climate protection at the same time.

We would also like to suggest that consideration be given to the possibility of using the multilateral consultative process yet to be defined under Article 13 as a vehicle for facilitating the implementation of commitments for all parties. Such a process could draw upon the expertise of a range of technical experts from both developed and developing countries. The experts would provide advice and guidance on an asneeded basis to assist parties with questions, concerns and problems relating to the full range of commitments: national inventories, assessment of mitigation and adaptation options, development of climate response strategies and programs and preparation of national communications.

An additional component of the AGBM's work to advance the implementation of Article 4.1 must be a firmcommitment to an ongoing workprogram on technology. We fully support the decisions of the SBSTA and SBI on these matters and urge that the Secretariat's valuable work in this area serve as a initial step in a multipronged effort on technology.

Advancing the implementation of existing commitments will be a long-term process for all parties. We see it.... not as an objective, in and of itself, but rather as a foundation laying exercise. What we are seeking to do, at-a national and global level is to lay the groundwork for a long-term strategy to meet the threat of climate change. The successful implementation of such as strategy is the key to our sustainable development.