UN climate talks in Bonn7 June 2013
For the first time in human history, concentrations of carbon dioxide, the main global warming pollutant, hit 400 parts per million in the atmosphere.
Climate scientists have warned us against breaching carbon dioxide thresholds of 350 ppm.
Dirty energy and dirty money from big fossil fuel corporations have poisoned our communities and our collective decision-making for too long. Governments in Bonn must start the just transition to renewable energy and stop giving tax payers' money to dirty energy.
Asad Rehman, International Climate Campaigner Friends of the Earth
It's in this backdrop that the Bonn climate talks began. It is the first meeting since the Doha talks which started a new structure for the talks.
The negotiations now happen under two workstreams of the Durban Platform:
- Increasing pre-2020 Action (Workstream 2):
This should be the priority as many scientific reports show that emissions must peak before 2020 to keep warming below dangerous levels. - Designing a post 2020 agreement (Workstream 1):
This will focus on agreeing a comprehensive, fair and ambitious agreement in Paris in 2015.
Work will also continue in the two technical bodies (SBI and SBSTA), looking at how to:
- Increase the dangerously low emissions targets by rich developed countries
- Help people already impacted by climate change
- And pursue the promised finance and technology to help developing countries to grow cleanly.
You can find out more through our Bonn reports and briefings and through these daily updates.
Discuss these and other issues at our international climate hub.
