The Durban climate conference : review of agreements and outstanding issues

Abstract

The Durban Conference, despite overrunning by two days, eventually delivered on the two priority issues of Africa: adoption of the governing instrument of the Green Climate Fund and the second commitment period to the Kyoto Protocol. The other outcome of the Conference, the launching of the Durban Platform, provided an opportunity for universal participation which is necessary for preventing temperature rise beyond acceptable levels. Three negotiating sessions of the AWG-LCA and AWG-KP were held with a view to reaching a binding agreement in late 2011 when the COP met in Durban, South Africa. The sessions took place in Bangkok, Bonn and Panama City. The Durban Conference should therefore be seen as part of the continual global effort to refine and strengthen the international collaborative and regulatory framework on climate change. This paper provides context on the negotiating process leading up to Durban and a summary of the Durban Platform, highlighting the implications of some of its elements for Africa.