Insights and Commentaries
COP24
18th November 2018
What is COP24 and why is the Institute involved?
The Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) negotiations is the international platform where nations come together to negotiate the operational rules that govern the various climate treaties, including the Convention, the Kyoto Protocol, and the Paris Agreement. The Institute has participated in the COP process since COP 16 (Cancun, 2010), strongly advocating for the role CCS can and must play as a vital technology in a broad global portfolio of low emissions technologies.
This year’s conference will convene in Katowice, Poland from 3 to 14 December to negotiate, recommend and decide on a broad range of climate friendly outcomes. This meeting will host:
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The 24th session of the COP (COP24) – which is the decision making body responsible for the Convention;
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The 14th session of the COP serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP 13) – the decision making body responsible for the Kyoto Protocol;
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The 4th part of the first session of the COP serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement (CMA 1.4) - the decision making body responsible for the Paris Agreement; and
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The 49th sessions of the two permanent Subsidiary Bodies for Science and Technological Advice (SBSTA) and Implementation (SBI) – these bodies are tasked by the various decision making bodies to consider and propose recommendations on various issues.
The Institute’s main outcomes sought by the Institute in its participation include:
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Raising international awareness amongst key decision-makers of the vital role CCS must play as an environmentally-sound and transformational clean-energy technology.
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Advocating for CCS support on at least an equitable basis to alternate technologies within the global portfolio of technologies available to address climate change; this means policies that avoid discriminating and/or disadvantaging CCS deployment prospects
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Communicating the merits of CCS inclusion in all of the UNFCCC’s architecture and its programs, mechanisms and communications vehicles as is appropriate and relevant to do so (such as Nationally Determined Contributions)
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Evolving the Institute’s role and reputation within this formal space as the primary influencer on CCS matters, as well as a valued provider of information to governments and industry alike to positively inform future evidence-based policy development and best practice efforts
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Translating the complexity of the UNFCCC negotiations and outcomes to members in a business and policy relevant manner, including articulating the opportunities arising out of the international climate agenda that can help mobilise the resources required to deploy CCS (i.e. funding and expertise)
Global CCS Institute at COP24
During COP24, our key CCS advocacy activites will centre around seven events:
- China Side Event: CCUS: Practices and Perspectives, Friday 7 December - Brad Page/John Scowcroft speaking with Sun Zhen (Ministry of Ecology and Environment), Xie Qiang (National Centre Climate Change Strategy), Li Xingchun (CNPC)
- Global CCS Institute Media Conference to launch Status Report: Tuesday 11 December
- Global CCS Institute Media Dinner: Tuesday 11 December
- IETA Side-Event: “Not “or” but “and” – the role of CCS in achieving the 1.5 Objective (Speakers: Lord Stern, Graham Winkelman (BHP), Dave Hawkins (NRDC), Abyd Karmali (BAML), Stig Svenningson (Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum & Energy)
- UK Government Side Event: “Accelerating CCUS Deployment”: 12 December – John Scowcroft speaking with Hon Claire Perry (Minister of Clean Growth), Archie Young (BEIS), Peter Warren (BEIS), Professor Jon Gibbons (Head UKCCSRC) and others;
- Japan Side Event: 12 December – John Scowcroft/Antonios Papaspiropoulos speaking with Kensuke Suzuki (Toshiba), Jiro Tanaka (Japan CCS), Tim Dixon (IEAGHG)
- A high-level dinner-dialogue
The Institute will also conduct general engagement activiteis during other leading organisation’s events and receptions and hold a number of private briefings with members and delegates.
Institute staff attending include (please feel free to meet with any of them):
- Brad Page, CEO (both weeks)
- John Scowcroft, Executive Adviser - Europe (both weeks)
- Guloren Turan, General Manger – Advocacy & Communcations (week 2)
- Antonios Papaspiropoulos, Global Lead – Advocacy & Communications (week 2)
- Xiangshan Ma, China Country Manager (week 1).