Outcomes of COP 14 in Poznan

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) provides an overview of the outcomes of the fourteenth Conference of the Parties (COP 14) to the UNFCCC held in Poznan, Poland, in December 2008. It details the progress of the two main negotiating tracks—the Ad Hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action (AWG-LCA) and the Ad Hoc Working Group on Further Commitments for Annex I Parties under the Kyoto Protocol (AWG-KP)—as they move toward a comprehensive post-2012 climate agreement expected at COP 15 in Copenhagen.

• The COP 14 conference in Poznan served as the midpoint of the Bali Action Plan (BAP) process, with its primary achievement being the agreement to shift into "full negotiating mode" and the establishment of an ambitious meeting schedule for 2009 leading up to COP 15 in Copenhagen.
• The Adaptation Fund (AF) saw significant progress through the operationalization of the Adaptation Fund Board, which was granted the authority to identify and allocate money to projects. The fund is currently supported by a 2 per cent levy on the sale of emission credits from Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects.
• Under the AWG-KP, developed countries agreed that future commitments should primarily be quantified emission limitation and reduction objectives (QELROs). They referenced a target range of 25 to 40 per cent below 1990 levels by 2020, though individual targets may vary based on national circumstances and mitigation potential.
• The AWG-LCA discussions in Poznan highlighted a significant divide regarding the differentiation of developing countries. Some developed nations proposed "graduation," where major emitters like China or advanced economies like South Korea would face more stringent actions than least developed countries, a proposal rejected by most developing nations.
• The COP adopted the Poznan Strategic Programme on Technology Transfer, which endorses a Global Environment Facility (GEF) work program to increase investment in environmentally sound technologies for developing countries.
• The second review of the Kyoto Protocol under Article 9 failed to produce a substantive outcome due to a lack of agreement on several issues, most notably the extension of the share of proceeds (the 2 per cent CDM levy) to Joint Implementation (JI) and emissions trading.
• The report identifies the United States as a critical factor in the success of the 2009 negotiations. While the U.S. is not a member of the AWG-KP, there were indications that the Obama administration intended to participate and influence the discussions, though its final international negotiating position remained uncertain.

APA

Murphy, D. (2009). Outcomes of COP 14 in Poznan. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/status_unfccc_negotiations.pdf

Chicago

Murphy, Deborah. Outcomes of COP 14 in Poznan. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2009. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/status_unfccc_negotiations.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Murphy |first1=Deborah |title=Outcomes of COP 14 in Poznan |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=March 2009 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/status_unfccc_negotiations.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{murphy2009outcomes, author = {Murphy, Deborah}, title = {{Outcomes of COP 14 in Poznan}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2009}, month = mar, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/status_unfccc_negotiations.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }