Climate policy timeline

Copenhagen, Denmark, December 2009

Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC (COP15)

Poznan, Poland, December 2008

Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC (COP14)

The Poznan UN conference launches a crucial 12 month period of international political negotiations leading to Deal Day in Copenhagen, December 2009. This is why this meeting is a fundamental stepping stone on the way towards a new GLOBAL CLIMATE DEAL that will determine if and how the world will cope with climate change.

• Poznan UN Conference 2008

Hokkaido, Japan, July 2008

G8 Hokkaido Summit

The Japanese G8 presidency failed to pave the way for a positive outcome to talks on climate change at the G8 Hokkaido Summit in July.

• G8 leaders duck responsibility
• G8 Climate Scorecards 2008

Bangkok, Thailand, April 2008

UN Climate Change Talks

The UN Climate Talks in Bangkok – the first meeting after the Bali conference – was about developing an ambitious timetable to complete the complex negotiations on a new climate deal in time for the UN Climate Conference in Copenhagen in December 2009.

• Media advisory Bangkok

Bali, Indonesia, December 2007

Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC (COP13)

Environment ministers launched formal negotiations with a 2009 end date, but the deal fell short in its ambition. During an emotional showdown in the final hours of the 15-day meeting, the US delegation, under intense public pressure, decided to join in the global talks. The price of US participation, however, was a deal weak on substance.

• Final press release
• Bali press pack

Potsdam, Germany, March 2007

G8+5 Meeting

Heads of state and government of the G8+5 countries were urged to push for the launch of formal negotiations for deep cuts in global emissions of heat trapping gases, at the UN climate summit in Indonesia in December later that year. Specifically ministers were urged to adopt a 'technology package' and a 'development package'.

•   Advisory 15 March 2007

Nairobi, Kenya, November 2006

Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC (COP12)

This UN Conference ended with a small step forward to keep the world on track to start formal negotiations on the next round of cuts in CO₂ emissions starting in 2007.

Ministers attending the UN climate talks edged the planet towards a safer, low-carbon future. But they did not seize the opportunity to make further decisions that were needed for deeper emission cuts beyond 2012. Governments recognized that global emissions need to be reduced by 50% by 2050.

• WWF statement

Bonn, Germany, May 2006

UN Climate Change Talks

Countries agreed to focus the next session of the negotiations (in Nairobi, Kenya) on emissions scenarios to reduce the pollution that causes climate change, and on the various policies and technologies that have worked thus far. In addition, the Long-Term Dialogue on Future Cooperative Action, including all UN Framework Convention for Climate Change (UNFCCC) Parties, was set to continue its workshops – but the effectiveness of this Dialogue is yet to be proven.

• WWF press release

Montreal, Canada, December 2005

Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC (COP11)

 At this first meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol, and the 11th meeting of the UNFCCC, a clear signal was sent to the world that the Kyoto Protocol will continue and that carbon markets will be at the centre of multi-lateral efforts for many years to come.

•  WWF commentary of the results

Gland, Switzerland, October 2005

Publication of WWF policy documents

• WWF report on types for future CO₂ reduction commitments 
  What commitments can industrialized and developing countries take, and what are their pros and cons?
• Target 2020 - The EU can freeze climate change
  A WWF report shows that the EU can cut one third of its CO₂ emissions by 2020.

Edinburgh, Scotland, July 2005

G8 Gleneagles Summit

G8 leaders struggled to get decisions on climate change and on aid for Africa.

Due to reluctance from US President George Bush - and despite clear interest from the other participating countries, including the 5 largest developing economies - no conclusive decisions were reached on climate change.

• WWF statement and materials
• WWF Scorecards on the G8
• Africa's growth needs a stable climate

WWF also teamed up with Allianz Group at this time to call for more climate action from the G8 countries. A joint report outlined specific steps for actions to better integrate risks from climate change into the insurance, banking, and asset management sectors.

Bonn, Germany, May 2005

Government Experts Seminar

Government experts examined the longer-term climate change regime. This was the result of overnight negotiations in Buneos Aires, and the first official opportunity to vent options for a climate change regime beyond 2012.

• WWF position

Global, February 2005

The Kyoto Protocol enters into force

WWF calls the entry-into-force of the Kyoto Protocol on February 16th, the First of 10 steps towards a CO₂-neutral energy future.

Buenos Aires, Argentina, December 2004

Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC (COP10)

COP10 concerned the ratification of the Kyoto Protocol by Russia and the Protocol's final entry-into-force. While no large-scale decisions were taken, the United States delegation and its ally Saudi Arabia showed a more aggressive stance against progress and against discussing the future of the climate regime after 2012.

• An Analysis of the Role of OPEC as a G77 Member at the UNFCCC

Bonn, Germany, June 2004

The International Conference for Renewable Energies

This set the stage for renewable energy to be a major part of the world's energy future. According to WWF, the conference was successful in delivering an Action Programme for implementing renewable energy, which included a number of ambitious commitments. Developing countries in particular were seen to be moving forward. Amongst the most ambitious commitments were those from China, the Philippines, the Dominican Republic, and Egypt.

• What they should do
• The results

Milan, Italy, December 2003

Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC (COP9)

At COP9, decisions were made on the final building blocks of the Kyoto Protocol, especially the use of forest 'sinks' projects in the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). A majority of the 188 parties to the UNFCCC rejected attempts by the United States delegation to propose alternative approaches to the Kyoto Protocol. The Bush administration's calls for focusing climate action solely on more scientific research and investment in new technologies were dismissed as unrealistic and as an excuse for delaying real emission cuts.

More information: 

• Faking Action: The Truth Behind US Global Warming Policy (DOC: 230 KB)
• Rising Tide: Growing Momentum on Global Warming in the US (DOC: 111 KB)

The Climate Action Network presented its outline for a viable regime to prevent dangerous climate change. This regime must be built on core principles of equity and fairness and include an appropriate balance of rights and obligations.

• CAN position paper on post 2012 framework

New Delhi, India, October 2002

Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC (COP8)

Although COP8 was more of a technical meeting requiring fewer political decisions than previous COP meetings, it was an important milestone in the negotiating process.

Key developments occurred on the CDM (Clean Development Mechanism), whereby developed countries could invest in projects in developing countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. WWF's concerns about the poor quality of projects were supported by a number of countries and are likely to be considered by the Executive Board of the CDM. Read more.

Marakesh, Morocco, October-November 2001

Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC (COP7)

The Marrakesh conference focused on resolving the relatively few outstanding issues from Bonn and completing the transposition of the Bonn Agreement into formal UN legal text.

This was successfully completed, and agreed by consensus . it came to be known as The Marrakesh Accords.

In principle, agreement in Marrakesh should have removed any final barriers to Kyoto's ratification. This was especially true for Japan, Russia and Canada who were able to secure the elements they stated were crucial for their ratification.  Read more.

Bonn, Germany, July 2001

Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC (COP6b)

The Bonn Agreement on the Kyoto Protocol was a political landmark in the slow-moving international negotiations, demonstrating that the world was not going to be held back by a recalcitrant Bush Administration.

Ministers from around 180 nations agreed a package deal that included rules and procedures on developing country issues (funding, technology transfer, capacity-building, adaptation to the impacts of climate change), the Kyoto mechanisms (emissions trading, joint implementation and the CDM), sinks and compliance.

As a whole, the agreement created the basic fundamental architecture for countries to ratify and implement the Protocol and negotiate deeper emissions cuts in the future. Read more

 A funding package was also introduced with commitments by the EU, New Zealand, Norway and Switzerland to provide the developing world with US$410 million per year from 2005, with a further review in 2008.

Among the main points of the Bonn Agreement:

• Preferential treatment to clean renewable energy under the CDM.
• Calls on industrialized countries to "refrain" from promoting nuclear power in developing countries. In effect, governments rejected nuclear power as an acceptable way of curbing carbon pollution.
• Credible rules for emissions trading.
• A compliance regime that includes non-optional, enforceable consequences for countries that miss their targets.

The Hague, Netherlands, November 2000

Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC (COP6)

The first global conference on climate change of the 21st century intended to finalise rules for bringing the Kyoto Protocol into operation.

Governments agreed on legally-binding emission reduction targets in Kyoto back in 1997. But the rich nations missed a golden opportunity in November 2000 to make a break with their polluting past.

The United States, Japan, Canada and Australia brought November's talks to a halt. They insisted on exploiting loopholes in the Kyoto agreement that would have allowed them to avoid cutting their global warming pollution while still claiming to be meeting their Kyoto targets. This proved too much for the European Union to accept.

 

What WWF called for at the November 2000 meeting:

• Industrialized nations to make substantial cuts in carbon pollution this decade, taking them beyond their Kyoto targets;
• As a bare minimum, all countries to agree a fair and effective Kyoto climate treaty to come into force by 2002.