Global IssuesCOP19—Warsaw Climate Conference
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Introduction
November 11 – 23, 2013, Warsaw, Poland was the venue for the 19th annual United Nations Climate Change Conference, also known as the 19th Conference of the Parties — or COP 19.
The purpose of this conference was to create a loss and damage pillar of a new climate treaty to be finalized in 2015. The other two pillars discussed in previous meetings are mitigation (emission reductions) and adaptation pillars.
Meeting outcome
The main outcome of the meeting was the establishment of an international mechanism for a loss and damage associated with climate change impacts .
Predictably, the loss and damage aspect of climate negotiations brought out the worst in some countries. Some developing countries were going to resist the idea of financing adaptation to climate change, while others appeared to hate the idea of climate reparations for poor countries. A few years earlier, industrialized nations had made a legal commitment to a global climate fund. Unsurprisingly, not much came of it, as Inter Press Service summarized,
In 2009 at the semi-infamous Copenhagen talks, the rich countries made a deal with developing countries, saying in effect:
We’ll give you billions of dollars for adaptation, ramping up to 100 billion dollars a year by 2020, in exchange for our mitigation amounting to small CO2 cuts instead of making the big cuts that we should do.The money to help poor countries adapt flowed for the first three years but has largely dried up. Warsaw was supposed to be the
Finance COPto bring the promised money. That didn't happen.Countries like Germany, Switzerland and others in Europe only managed to scrape together promises of 110 million dollars into the Green Climate Fund. Developing countries wanted a guarantee of 70 billion a year by 2016 but were blocked by the U.S., Canada, Australia, Japan and others.
It got to the point that hundreds of representatives from various NGOs walked out of the negotiating rooms to protest against developed countries’ reluctance to commit to a loss and damage mechanism. And this was a day after the G77+China group of 133 developing countries walked out of negotiations over the same thing.
Looking through the briefing reports from the respected NGO, the Third World Network, It seems that on the surface, while an outcome was eventually thrashed out, there are many areas of weakness of sufficient vagueness to satisfy everyone that contentious issues that are seemingly resolved can still be challenged and changed in the future.
In context: common but differentiated responsibilities
Many years ago all nations agreed that climate change was largely the result of actions from today’s industrialized nations, as carbon dioxide — the main greenhouse gas — stays in the atmosphere for decades. Yet, the poorest would end up suffering the most for a problem they largely did not cause. The approaches to mitigation (emissions reduction) would therefore be different for those groups of countries — the common but differentiated responsibilities principle.
It is in this context that the discussion for loss and damage has come about. And it is something that rich countries are keen to get rid of .
The years of resistance on this issue (and many others) means each time it is discussed again the reactions seem to get even more hostile. Combined with the lack of detailed context in the mainstream media coverage of this aspect, it then becomes easier each time to see culprits as China and India given their enormous greenhouse emissions in recent years, compared to the far greater amount by the industrialized nations over the longer period. See this site’s section on climate justice for more detailed background.
In context: Typhoon Haiyan
The meeting came at the time when the devastating Typhoon Haiyan had just killed thousands in the Philippines and affected millions more. It was an ominous warning of what could be more frequent as climate change continues to take hold.
It was also an example of how poorer nations could be affected by a problem they have largely not been responsible for and that while all the international outpouring of aid and assistance was incredibly welcome, that support for preventing and adapting to such events is paramount and efforts are urgently needed to curb emission increases.
In an emotional speech the Philippines lead negotiator for the conference, Naderev Saño, received a standing ovation for announcing that he will go on a hunger strike until a meaningful outcome is in sight.
Lack of urgency
Inter Press Service (IPS) noted the seeming lack of urgency given the years and years of delay and watering down of meaningful action:
To have a good chance at staying under two degrees C, industrialised countries need to crash their CO2 emissions 10 percent per year starting in 2014, said Kevin Anderson of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research at the University of Manchester.
We can still do two C but not the way we're going,Anderson said on the sidelines of COP 19 in Warsaw. He wondered why negotiators on the inside are not reacting to the reality that it is too late for incremental changes.
I’m really stunned there is no sense of urgency here,he told IPS.
More information
As the conference is still underway as this page is written, more information will be added here after the event is over.
For more about the issues from other organizations, here are some starting points:
News stories from IPS
Below is a list of stories from Inter Press Service related to the Warsaw climate conference and its aftermath.
At Davos, Guterres slams backsliding on climate commitments
- UN News
The world’s political and business elite present in Davos on Wednesday faced an uncompromising address from UN chief António Guterres as he rounded on a lack of multilateral collaboration in an “increasingly rudderless world” at risk from two existential dangers: climate change and unregulated Artificial Intelligence (AI).
UN regrets US exit from global cooperation on health, climate change agreement
- UN News
UN agencies responded on Tuesday to President Trump’s executive orders ending US membership of the World Health Organization (WHO) and its adherence to the Paris Climate Agreement, highlighting the massive potential negative impact on public health and efforts to curb global warming.
Climate emergency: 2025 declared international year of glaciers
- UN News
As glaciers disappear at an alarming rate due to climate change, the UN General Assembly has declared 2025 the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation (IYGP).
Our Health is at Stake: The Solutions SIDS Need to Fight Climate Change
- Inter Press Service
KINGSTON, Jamaica, Jan 08 (IPS) - Climate change is one of the most serious global threats to the future of the world’s population. Its impact extends far and wide, from the economy to governance to the very health and well-being of society.
The climate crisis: 5 things to watch out for in 2025
- UN News
The Amazonian city of Belém, Brazil, will be the global focus of efforts to tackle the climate crisis next year, when it hosts one of the most significant UN climate conferences in recent years. However, well before the event in November, 2025 will see plenty of opportunities to make important progress on several climate-related issues, from the staggering levels of plastic pollution to financing the shift to a cleaner global economy.
UN World Court concludes landmark hearings on States’ responsibility for climate change
- UN News
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) held historic hearings from 2 to 13 December addressing States’ obligations under international law to combat climate change, a process spearheaded by small island nations facing existential threats.
The Climate Crisis as a Diplomatic Battlefield
- Inter Press Service
ACCRA, Ghana, Dec 18 (IPS) - The climate crisis, a defining challenge of the 21st century, is not just an environmental issue; it is increasingly a critical arena for international diplomacy. From intense negotiations at COP summits to the politics of energy transitions and resource control, climate change is shaping the geopolitical landscape.
America’s Climate Carousel
- Inter Press Service
ABERDEEN, Scotland, Dec 17 (IPS) - The rhythmic swing of American climate policy has taken another dramatic turn. With Donald Trump’s return to the US presidency in mid-January next year, the international climate community will find itself bracing for what many fear will be another American exodus from the Paris Agreement.
How an African Bioeconomy Can Strengthen Agrifood Systems in the Context of a Changing Climate
- Inter Press Service
DAKAR, Senegal, Dec 16 (IPS) - From increased pests and diseases to lower crop yields and extreme weather events, the adverse impacts of climate change on agriculture in Africa cannot be overstated.
COP29: Advancing work for Climate Finance and for Climate-Adapted Agri-Food Systems
- Inter Press Service
GENEVA, Dec 12 (IPS) - Frustrations over the pace of climate action and the size of the finance target agreed in Baku are valid from the perspective of low-income countries, especially Small-Island Developing States (SIDS). It is also important to recognize that there has been real progress in some countries at the agri-food-nutrition-climate-water-nature-livelihoods intersection, and this seems to be particularly the case in some countries in the Alliance of Champions for Food Systems Transformation (ACF).
Once Scattered by Colonialism, Today United in Urgent Pursuit of Climate Justice
- Inter Press Service
THE HAGUE & NAIROBI, Dec 11 (IPS) - The Seychelles consider the ongoing public hearings at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) both timely and critical “for the people of the small island developing state in the middle of the Indian Ocean,” Flavien Joubert, Minister for Agriculture, Climate Change and Environment of the Seychelles, told the court today.
Pacific Community Calls Out Urgency of Climate Loss and Damage Finance for Frontline Island Nations
- Inter Press Service
SYDNEY, Dec 10 (IPS) - Advancing development of the new Climate Loss and Damage Fund was a key call by Pacific Island nations at the COP29 United Nations Climate Change Conference being held in Azerbaijan in November. For Pacific Island Countries and Territories, the fund represents a critical step towards addressing what they consider a gross climate injustice: despite contributing less than 0.03 percent of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, they bear the brunt of climate change's devastating impacts.
For the Human Race, Ignoring the Climate Emergency Is No Longer an Option'
- Inter Press Service
THE HAGUE, Dec 10 (IPS) - If lives and livelihoods are to be protected, if we want to avoid utter catastrophe, there simply is no time to lose. As has often been said, we are the first generation to feel the impact of climate change, and undoubtedly, we are the last generation that can do something about it.—Mansoor Usman Awan, Attorney General of PakistanAt the International Court of Justice (ICJ), no matter if the country had high Himalayas, was a small island nation or was experiencing armed conflict, they all agreed that the due diligence principle and the obligation of states to prevent harm caused by climate change, especially for high greenhouse gas emitters, were non-negotiable.
African Union, Nations Lay Bare Climate Vulnerabilities at UN’s Top Court
- Inter Press Service
THE HAGUE & NAIROBI, Dec 06 (IPS) - Kenya agrees with many UN member states testifying before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that the law of international responsibility should hold countries legally responsible for major damage to the global climate system.
Climate Finance Not Charity, But Obligation, International Court of Justice hears
- Inter Press Service
THE HAGUE & SRINAGAR, Dec 05 (IPS) - Developing nations should not bear the brunt of the climate crisis caused by the industrialized world's historical emissions. This was the resounding message as the Solomon Islands, India, and Iran, among others, presented their cases before the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
States Individually Accountable For Contributions to Climate Change—Fiji
- Inter Press Service
THE HAGUE, Dec 05 (IPS) - At The Hague, the United Nation’s highest court heard Fiji, a small island nation, lay out its arguments on the threat posed by climate change and the legal obligations, especially those of developed nations.
Turning To Regenerative Practices and Soil Microbes To Fight Effects of Climate Change
- Inter Press Service
URBANA, Illinois, US, Dec 04 (IPS) - Recently, at the UN climate conference COP29, countries agreed to do everything necessary to invest in climate solutions to protect lives and livelihoods from worsening climate change impacts and to build a prosperous world. This is necessary. Indeed, every effort must be made by our leaders to protect lives and livelihoods.
Climate Change’s Dire Consequences Laid Bare at International Court of Justice Hearnings
- Inter Press Service
THE HAGUE & SRINAGAR, Dec 04 (IPS) - At the International Court of Justice on Tuesday, December 4, 2024, Brazil called for climate justice, and Canada urged swift action on the world's "greatest challenge," while China advocated for equity and development rights. These countries are among the 98 that will make presentations during the fortnight of hearings, after which the court will give an advisory opinion.
Small Island States Demand International Court Look Beyond Climate Treaties For Justice
- Inter Press Service
THE HAGUE & JOHANNESBURG, Dec 02 (IPS) - Countries facing existential crises due to climate change have asked the International Court of Justice in the Hague to look beyond climate treaties, like the Paris Agreement, when it considers its opinion on the obligations of high-emitting UN member states.A few UN member states responsible for the majority of emissions have breached international law, Ralph Regenvanu, a special climate envoy from Vanuatu, told the International Court of Justice in the Hague in his opening address.
Youth-Led Landmark Climate Change Case Starts in The Hague
- Inter Press Service
JOHANNESBURG, Dec 02 (IPS) - Youth and climate activists believe that the International Court of Justice's advisory opinion will send a powerful legal signal that UN member states cannot ignore their legal duties to act and protect the environment against climate change.The intersection of law, diplomacy, and science will come under the spotlight at the International Court of Justice hearings starting today (Monday, December 2, 2024) in The Hague as the court starts its deliberations into the obligations under international law of UN member states to protect people and ecosystems from climate change.
Landmark climate change hearings represent largest ever case before world court
- UN News
A record number of oral statements are expected to be presented to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) as highly awaited public hearings on States’ legal obligations with respect to climate change got underway on Monday.
A New Compass for Climate Action
- Inter Press Service
PORT VILA, Vanuatu, Nov 29 (IPS) - The climate crisis has become devastating across the world over the past few months: super typhoons sweeping through the Western Pacific, unprecedented superstorms in the Gulf of Mexico, raging wildfires across the Amazon rainforest, severe flooding in Central and Eastern Europe, just to mention a few. Rising seas and intensifying storms threaten to devastate communities and erase entire countries from the map.
Nature, Climate, and Prosperity: Unlocking the Power of Integrated Action
- Inter Press Service
NEW YORK, Nov 26 (IPS) - As the world faces escalating challenges, from climate change to biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation, there is now a rapidly expanding understanding that these crises are deeply interconnected.
Navigating Global Climate Challenges: Perspectives from China's COP29 Delegation
- Inter Press Service
BAKU, Nov 23 2024 (IPS) - As COP29 draws to a close, voices from diverse regions have shed light on their contributions, challenges, and aspirations in tackling the climate crisis.
Preparing for climate chaos in Timor-Leste, one of the world’s most vulnerable nations
- UN News
Timor-Leste, a young island nation in Southeast Asia, is particularly vulnerable to the ravages of the climate crisis. A combination of technology, community knowledge and UN support could help to ensure that casualties and damage are kept to a minimum, the next time extreme weather hits.
COP29 climate talks conclude with $300 billion annual pledge, but developing nations call deal ‘an insult’
- UN News
UN climate negotiations wrapped up early on Sunday morning in Baku, with wealthy countries pledging to invest at least $300 billion a year to the global fight against climate change. Developing countries who had been seeking more than $1 trillion in support called the deal an “insult” and said that it failed to provide the critical support they needed to effectively tackle the climate crisis.
Climate Change in Azerbaijan is Putting Women at Increased Risk of Gender-Based Violence
- Inter Press Service
PARIS, Nov 22 (IPS) - Climate change exacerbates existing gender inequalities and gender-based violence. At COP29 in Azerbaijan, governments have been urged to prioritize gender-responsive climate policies that address the specific needs of women and girls, and serious concerns have been raised about backtracking on women’s rights during these crucial negotiations on climate action.
Migration Remittances: Pursuit of Greener Pastures Opens Door for Climate Financing
- Inter Press Service
BAKU, Nov 22 (IPS) - COP29 delegates have elaborated on how Africa’s dependency on agriculture is becoming increasingly untenable amidst alarming levels of global warming, wrecking havoc on the sector. Coastal communities, pastoralists, and those in the drylands are in the thick of the climate chaos.
UN's OCHA Calls to Correct the Imbalance in Climate Finance Allocation
- Inter Press Service
BAKU, Nov 22 (IPS) - As climate-induced disasters continue to wreak havoc worldwide, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), a UN body specializing in emergency response, has issued a clarion call for an ambitious and fair global climate finance goal at COP29. Grey Puley, Head of the Climate Team at OCHA, highlighted the pressing need for enhanced disaster risk reduction and climate resilience measures, particularly in vulnerable and conflict-affected regions.
Where Is Mental Health in Global Climate Negotiations?
- Inter Press Service
BAKU, Nov 22 (IPS) - The mental health impacts of climate change are not widely discussed, but increasing evidence shows how climate change is affecting mental health and raising the risk of new mental health challenges. Experts say that existing systems are not equipped to cope with the current and additional challenges related to health and mental health caused by climate change.
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