Meeting Notes Summary - Dec. 10, 2009

Notes by Bill Hallmark

I. Low Carbon Asia – Visions and Actions

Three Japanese Institutes (The Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES), The Japan Center for Climate Change Action (JCCCA), and The National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES) work toward the goal of setting Asia on a low-carbon development path, where it has historically been but deviated from because of accelerated development during the past years. One of their many approaches is to encourage and award local and regional ideas and initiatives.


II. AWG-KP - “Report to Civil Society”
(session: 5:00 – 6:00 pm)

“Town Hall” session by Kyoto Protocol Working Group (one of 2 ad hoc working groups, the other being the Bali Action Plan Working Group (AWG-LCA)). Issues addressed – and as yet unresolved:

• Base year for measuring reductions – 1990 (majority opinion) or 2005
• Commitment from (proposed) treaty implementation (2013): 5 vs. 8 yrs
• General frustration at lack of tangible progress in face of dwindling time.
• US role at Kyoto Protocol negotiations – attend meetings in non-party role.
• Process for reaching agreement: “non-paper” discussion proposal, followed by party negotiations to reach consensus.
• Technical and political disputes currently prevent AWG-KP from adding additional gases to list of green house gases.