The world’s least developed countries (LDCs) have presented an ambitious proposal aimed at increasing the likelihood that the ongoing UN climate change negotiations will result in an effective, legally binding agreement by 2015.

In a formal submission to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the LDC group outlined several key demands:

• The new legally binding agreement should take the form of a protocol under the UNFCCC that strengthens and builds upon the commitments established by the Kyoto Protocol.
• New procedural rules should be introduced to allow the adoption of this protocol by a 75% majority vote, rather than requiring consensus as current rules dictate.
• A complete draft of the final negotiating text should be ready at least one year before the 2015 deadline, instead of the typical six-month preparation window set by the UNFCCC.
• Raising the level of ambition for climate mitigation efforts prior to 2020 must be a top priority.
• The new protocol must ensure the comprehensive implementation of key pillars such as mitigation, adaptation, finance, and capacity building.
• Monitoring, reporting, and verification systems for both climate finance and mitigation actions should not fall below the standards already established in the Kyoto Protocol but should further strengthen them.

Pa Ousman Jarju, chair of the LDC group, emphasized the urgency of their proposal. “At the Durban conference last year, parties committed to finalizing negotiations by 2015. However, similar deadlines have been missed in the past. Our countries can no longer afford to wait. We are already experiencing the severe impacts of climate change, and the time has come for us to lead in the global effort to confront this crisis.”

Jarju further noted, “The creation of a new negotiating body for a second protocol under the Convention reflects the overdue recognition that the Convention and the Kyoto Protocol alone are not sufficient to drive the level of action required. Immediate, decisive measures from all parties are critical to prevent dangerous interference with the climate system, particularly to remain below the 2°C threshold and to keep the possibility of limiting warming to 1.5°C open, as advocated by the most vulnerable nations.”

As climate negotiators convene in Bonn for the latest round of discussions, the LDC group has also proposed procedural reforms to make the negotiation process more efficient and equitable.

They recommend that the number and length of future negotiation sessions be determined in Bonn, along with a detailed timetable for addressing specific topics. Additionally, the group suggests that the selection of officers to the bureau managing the negotiations should extend beyond the traditional two-year term to promote continuity. They also propose that the size of the bureau be expanded to reflect both the urgency and the broad scope of the issues at hand.

“The LDC group arrives at the Bonn climate talks with a robust set of proposals,” Jarju stated. “In the spirit of international collaboration and with a shared commitment to realizing the objectives of the UN climate change convention, we call on all parties to support these necessary improvements to both the negotiation process and its ultimate outcomes.”