FCCC/SB/1996/L.1 - (i) Developing countries and small island countries are typically more vulnerable to climate change (S.R. 3.3); (j) Significant reductions in net greenhouse gas emissions are technically, possible and economically feasible by utilizing an extensive array of technology and policy measures that accelerate technology development, diffusion and transfer (S.R. 5.2); (k) Significant no regrets opportunities are available in most countries tor educe net greenhouse gas emissions. Furthermore, the risk of aggregate net damage due to climate change, consideration of risk aversion, and the precautionary principle provide rationales for action beyond no regrets (S.R. 8.2); (1) A portfolio of existing cost effective technologies, policies and measures can be used to markedly reduce the net emissions of greenhouse gases from all sectors (S.R, 5.5, 5.6, 5.11, 5.12, 8.4); 14 (m) Flexible, cost effective policies relying on economic incentives and instruments, as well as coordinated instruments, can considerably reduce mitigation and adaptation costs, or can increase the cost-effectiveness of emission reduction measures (S.R. 8.3); (n) Equity considerations are an important aspect of climate change policy and in achieving sustainable development. The intertemporal aspects of climate change policy also raise questions of intergenerational equity (S.R. 6.1, 6.5); (0) uncertainties. 22. Uncertainties remain and there is a need for further work to reduce these Other delegations expressed their view that it is very premature for the SBSTA to attempt to highlight specific findings of conclusions contained in the Second Assessment Report. They stated their belief that the list of items identified by certain delegations was highly selective and reflected a very limited, and, therefore, biased view of what were important findings in the Second Assessment Report. They also pointed out that some of the items listed by others were taken out of context and failed to set forth important qualifications that the IPCC specifically stated. 23. These delegations suggested that a preliminary review of the IPCC's Synthesis Report indicated that other, important IPCC findings included, inter alia: (a) Item 21 (c), above, is merely quoted selectively concerning the IPCC's conclusions that the balance of evidence suggests a discernible human influence on global climate. It fails to disclose the key IPCC finding that its ability to quantify the human influence is limited "because there are uncertainties in key factors." It fails to disclose that 23-558 96-14 FCCC/SB/1996/L.1 one of these uncertainties in key factors concerns the magnitude and patterns of long-term natural variability. This information is clearly set forth in the Working Group I Summary for Policymakers, page 4 and in the IPCC Synthesis report, para. 2.4. (b) Item 21 (d), above, fails to disclose that, the estimated temperature increase of 2°C by 2100 is approximately 1/3 lower than the IPCC's "best estimate" in 1990. That information is contained in para. 2.7 of the Synthesis Report and on page 5 of the Working Group I Summary for Policymakers. (c) Item 21 (e), above, fails to disclose the important information that the estimate of sea level rise by 2100 is 25 per cent lower than the IPCC's "best estimate" in 1990. That information is found in para. 2.8 of the Synthesis report and on page 5 of the Working Group I Summary for Policymakers. (d) Much attention has been paid to the issues of so called extreme events. Unfortunately the items in paragraph 21 above, fail to disclose the very important conclusion that "there are inadequate data to determine whether consistent global changes in climatevariability or weather extremes have occurred over the 20th century." Such information is located at para. 2.5 of the Synthesis report and on p.3 of the Working Group I Summary for Policymakers. (e) Certainly, a key finding of the IPCC Synthesis report, found in para. 2.12, is that "many uncertainties and many factors currently limit our ability to project and detect future climate change." (f) Insofar as item 21 (h), above purports to deal with impacts on food supply, it is seriously misleading because it fails to disclose the key information in para. 3.13 of the Synthesis report and Section 3.3 of the IPCC Working Group II Summary for Policymakers that "existing studies show that on the whole, global agricultural production could be maintained relative to baseline production in the face of climate change projected underdoubled equivalent CO2 equilibrium." (g) Insofar as the list of items, above, concern response strategies and call for urgent action, it should be recalled that IPCC Working Group III specifically concluded that "the value of better information about climate change processes and impacts and society's responses to them is likely to be great," and that para.8.4 of the Synthesis report called attention to "large differences in the cost of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and enhancing sinks, among countries due to their state of economic development, infrastructure FCCC/SB/1996/L. 1· 24. 2. Conclusions The Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) expressed its appreciation to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and to the Chairman of the IPCC for the excellent work carried out in drawing up the Second Assessment Report and for the Chairman's presentation to the SBSTA on 27 February of the key points from the report. It considered the Second Assessment Report to be the most comprehensive assessment of available scientific and technical information related to climate change. 25. The SBSTA held an initial exchange of views on the Second Assessment Report during its meetings. It commended the entire Second Assessment Report to all bodies of the Convention and particularly to the Ad Hoc Group on the Berlin Mandate (AGBM). The SBSTA invited Parties to send their views on the Report to facilitate a full considération of the Report, at the third session, in keeping with its mandate as contained in paragraph 1 of Annex I and paragraph 1 of Annex II of COP decision 6/CP.1. The views of the Parties should be transmitted to the secretariat by 30 April 1996. 26. The SBSTA decided to include in its future work programme the key questions, deriving from Article 2 of the Convention, namely the level of atmospheric greenhouse gases concentrations that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system and the paths to stabilization at that level, taking into account the common but differentiated responsibilities of Parties. In this context, the IPCC Second Assessment synthesis of scientific-technical information relevant to interpreting Article 2 of the Convention was considered as an important scientifically-based, comprehensive analysis. It also recognized that the IPCC would have to provide further technical inputs that would enable the SBSTA and the Conference of the Parties (COP) to address the ultimate objective of the Convention. 27. The SBSTA also agreed that the findings and projections of the Second Assessment Report should be made available in a suitable form to different audiences with special attention being given to the impacts and circumstances at national and regional level. It invited Parties, organizations and institutions to give appropriate attention to this need. 28. The SBSTA took note of the information provided by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), and by a number of Parties, relevant to the implementation of Article 5 of the Convention, on Research and Systematic Observation. It requested the secretariat to prepare a summary report on research and observation issues, with attention to Article 5, and particularly to Article 5 (c), of the Convention, in close collaboration with Parties and concerned international organizations, and taking into account the recommendations of the Second Assessment Report, for consideration by the third session of FCCC/SB/1996/L.1 Scientific assessments: Cooperation with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (agenda item 4 (b) of SBSTA 2) Conclusions 29. The SBSTA noted with appreciation the decisions taken by the IPCC at its eleventh session in Rome (December 1995), on its future work programme, and particularly that it intends to prepare a Third Assessment Report by about 2000 and continue to work on methodologies for greenhouse gas inventory. 30. The SBSTA considered the conclusions of the meetings of the Joint Working Group of officers of the UNFCCC and the IPCC. Taking into account also the statements made during the session, it requested the IPCC to undertake the proposed activities in support of the SBSTA contained in the annex to this document, and advise the SBSTA accordingly. 31. The SBSTA requested the secretariat to take these proposed activities as the basis for proposing a financial contribution to the IPCC in 1996, as provided in the Convention budget and to report thereon to the third session of the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI) and the second session of the COP. 32. The SBSTA appreciated that, in addition to the proposed activities in the annex to this document, the IPCC was providing enhanced scientific and technical information to the evolving needs of the AGBM. 33. The SBSTA noted that, for several issues identified in the annex to this document FCCC/SBSTA/1995/3, some information is available in the IPCC Special Report 1994, the Second Assessment Report, and would be expected to be included in the Third Assessment Report. These issues are: 34. Developing and/or assessing: a) methodologies for projecting national, regional and global emissions, b) methodologies for evaluating the effects of measures, and c) the application of global warming potentials; İnformation on sources and sinks; Reducing uncertainties related to particulate matter and tropospheric ozone. The SBSTA noted further that, in addition to its sponsoring bodies WMO and UNEP, the IPCC was cooperating with other relevant competent international organizations in responding to the need for objective scientific and technical advice, and emphasized the FCCC/SB/1996/L.1 35. Finally, the SBSTA requested its Chairman to continue the series of meetings of the Joint Working Group of Officers of the UNFCCC and the IPCC, as and when appropriate, and to report on these meetings to future sessions of the SBSTA. IV. NATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS A. Extract from the provisional report of the SBSTA Communications from Parties included in Annex I to the Convention Conclusions 36. The Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) took note of the progress report on in-depth reviews (FCCC/SB/1996/2) and of the in-depth review reports issued so far (FCCC/IDR.1/CZE, FCCC/IDR.1/SWE, FCCC/IDR.1/AUS, FCCC/IDR.1/USA, FCCC/IDR.1/CAN, FCCC/IDR.1/CHE). The SBSTA endorsed the format, scope and approaches of the in-depth review reports and emphasized the importance of monitoring the overall implementation of the Convention. The SBSTA took note with regret that the time schedule for these reviews as set by the first session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 1) could not be met owing to resource limitations and/or scheduling problems. It stressed the importance of completing the first cycle of in-depth reviews by the end of 1996 and of issuing as many reports as possible before the next sessions of subsidiary bodies, with a view to holding a substantive discussion at those sessions. 37. The SBSTA endorsed the proposed outline and approaches to be taken during the second compilation and synthesis of first national communications, as suggested by the secretariat in its document FCCC/SB/1996/1. The SBSTA requested the secretariat to explore ways to use tables in the compilation of policies and measures and to describe national circumstances, inter alia, national policy targets. 38. The SBSTA took note of preliminary data presented in document FCCC/SB/1996/1/Add.1 on projections of emissions of greenhouse gases for the year 2000 which indicate that many Annex I Parties will have to make additional efforts beyond those included in projections in order to return greenhouse gas emissions to base year levels by 2000, and stressed the need for more transparency in the assumptions made in these projections. 39. The SBSTA recalled decision 3/CP.1 (FCCC/CP/1995/7/Add.1) requesting Annex I Parties to submit to the secretariat national inventory data for the period 1990-1993 and, where available, for 1994 by 15 April 1996, and encouraged these Parties to submit these data at an earlier date to facilitate preparation of the second compilation and synthesis report. It recognized that Annex I Parties with economies in transition may exercise a certain degree of flexibility based on Article 4.6 of the Convention regarding these submissions. |