Summary for policimakers on Climate Change – COP18 and CMP8

The reality of climate change today is addressed within a difficult political context, characterised by an agenda that is mainly concentrated on short- and mediumterm economic and social factors. After the Durban compromise on continuing discussions under the traditional framework of post-2012 negotiations and under the Durban Platform for a post-2020 regime, the 18th Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the 8th Conference of the Parties serving as theMeeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP), which will be held on 26 November to 7 December 2012 in Doha, will constitute a turning point in climate negotiations.

Doha will therefore test the strength of the Durban compromise, whereby the Parties have approved a second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol provided negotiations start on a post-2020 agreement. The countries should state how they envisage the outline and the characteristics of the work programme that should lead to this agreement, which could take the form of a protocol, another legal instrument or an agreement with legal force.

The aim of this summary is to assist negotiators to a clearer understanding of the issues of the Doha Conference.