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

The May 2012 Bonn Climate Change Conference focused on the procedural initialization of the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action (ADP) and the conclusion of the Bali Action Plan (BAP). While the ADP reached agreements on its chairmanship and an expanded agenda beyond mitigation, the session was marked by significant political tension. Key disputes included the length of the second Kyoto commitment period—with the EU favoring eight years and developing countries favoring five—and the politicization of climate financing, specifically the EU's proposal to use aviation compliance charges from the EU Emissions Trading Scheme. The conference also highlighted growing divisions within the G-77/China bloc, particularly between the BASIC group and other developing nations regarding mitigation responsibilities.

• The Ad Hoc Working Group on the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action (ADP) successfully agreed 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) were split between Annex I Parties, including the European Union, who sought an eight-year period to align with Copenhagen pledges, and developing countries, who preferred a five-year period to avoid low effort levels and await the next IPCC report.
• Climate financing discussions became highly politicized after the EU suggested using aviation compliance charges from the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU-ETS) to meet financing commitments, potentially requiring contributions from countries like China and India.
• Internal divisions within the G-77/China bloc became more apparent, specifically as the BASIC group (Brazil, South Africa, India, China) struggled with potential increases in mitigation responsibilities while other developing nations demanded mitigation from all parties.
• Canada experienced less overt criticism during the session compared to previous meetings, possibly due to the detailed nature of its presentation on greenhouse gas sector regulation and financing, or because other nations like Japan and Russia 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} }