Yvo de Boer's Comments and Predictions Post COP 17

Ex U.N. climate chief Yvo de Boer had some very positive things to say about last year’s climate talks. As we are getting into the final stretch of COP 18 it is interesting to look back on COP 17 in Durban. On January 6, 2012, Environmental Leader published an article detailing de Boer’s views.

The former executive secretary of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change said that Durban sent a strong message to business that the world’s governments are serious about tackling climate change. He said that the Durban climate talks indicate that it is time for businesses to start preparing for a low-carbon economy. He also said that market-based mechanisms such as carbon trading will continue and he further expected that there will be clear reporting guidelines on GHG emissions.

At the 2009 Copenhagen climate summit (COP 15) de Boer was one of the driving forces behind the voluntary commitments made by member states to cut emissions by 2020. At COP 17 in Durban negotiators agreed a second commitment period under the Kyoto Protocol, to run from 2013 through 2017, and bound themselves to agree in 2015 to a deal to force them to cut emissions by 2020. Durban also saw agreement on the broad strokes of a green climate fund, which is set to channel $100bn a year from rich to poor countries by 2020.

De Boer indicated that Durban resulted in an agreement to develop a common system for measuring, reporting and verifying emissions cuts, which was a key to progress on GHG reduction, and also key to private sector investment.

De Boer applauded voluntary commitments and suggested that a legally binding agreement may be forthcoming.