Peering over the Ledge and Stepping Back (Again): The Bonn Climate Change Conference May 2012

This briefing describes the outcomes of the May 2012 Bonn Climate Change Conference, focusing on the initialization of the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action (ADP) and ongoing tensions regarding the Kyoto Protocol's second commitment period and climate financing.

• The Ad Hoc Working Group on the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action (ADP) reached an agreement on its chairmanship for the next three years and decided to broaden its negotiating scope to include more than just the enhancement of mitigation.
• Negotiations regarding the second Kyoto commitment period (KP2) within the Ad Hoc Working Group on Further Commitments for Annex I Parties Under the Kyoto Protocol (AWG-KP) were split over the duration of the period. The European Union and other Annex I Parties advocated for an eight-year period to align with Copenhagen pledges and the ADP agreement, whereas developing countries preferred a five-year period to avoid low effort levels and allow for higher ambition after the next IPCC report.
• Climate financing discussions became politicized after the European Union suggested using aviation compliance charges from the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU-ETS) to meet financing commitments. This move could potentially lead to countries like India and China being asked to contribute to the financing they are seeking.
• Increasing divisions emerged within the G-77/China negotiating bloc. The BASIC group (Brazil, South Africa, India, and China) struggled with potential increases in mitigation responsibilities, while other developing nations pushed for mitigation from all parties. This fragmentation is evidenced by the BASIC, AOSIS, and Africa groups each having their own co-chair in the ADP.
• Canada experienced less overt criticism during the session compared to previous meetings, potentially due to the detailed nature of its presentation on financing and greenhouse gas sector regulation, or because other nations like Russia and Japan also indicated they would not participate in the second Kyoto commitment period.

APA

Gass, P., Boyle, J., & Murphy, D. (2012). Peering over the Ledge and Stepping Back (Again): The Bonn Climate Change Conference May 2012. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/peering_over_the_ledge.pdf

Chicago

Gass, Philip, Jessica Boyle, and Deborah Murphy. Peering over the Ledge and Stepping Back (Again): The Bonn Climate Change Conference May 2012. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2012. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/peering_over_the_ledge.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Gass |first1=Philip |last2=Boyle |first2=Jessica |last3=Murphy |first3=Deborah |title=Peering over the Ledge and Stepping Back (Again): The Bonn Climate Change Conference May 2012 |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=June 2012 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/peering_over_the_ledge.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{gass2012peering, author = {Gass, Philip and Boyle, Jessica and Murphy, Deborah}, title = {{Peering over the Ledge and Stepping Back (Again): The Bonn Climate Change Conference May 2012}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2012}, month = jun, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/peering_over_the_ledge.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }