Sustainable development policies and measures A strategic approach for enhancing the climate regime post-2012

1. Sustainable development policies and measures A strategic approach for enhancing the climate regime post-2012 Presentation by South Africa to 2nd Workshop of the Convention Dialogue15-16 November 2006Nairobi, Kenya

2. The concept of SD-PAMs • Sustainable development (SD) policies and measures (PAMs) • Backcast from desired future state of development, not GHG reduction goal or cap • define more sustainable paths to meet development objectives • Primary motivation for developing countries is economic growth,development, job creation and poverty eradication. • How to capture and measure the potential of SD co-benefits under the Convention for developing countries? • Need a new strategic approach to capture the potential under the multi-lateral framework – SD-PAMs is one possible approach

3. 40 40 IPCC SRES A1T Scenarios IPCC SRES A1FI Scenarios 35 35 A 30 30 25 25 20 20 15 15 10 10 A1T 750 650 6 5 550 5 550 450 450 0 0 1990 2000 2010 2020 2030 2040 2050 2060 2070 2080 2090 2100 1990 2000 2010 2020 2030 2040 2050 2060 2070 2080 2090 2100 40 40 IPCC SRES B2 Scenarios IPCC SRES B1 Scenarios 35 35 30 30 25 25 20 20 B2 15 15 10 10 650 B1 550 5 550 5 450 450 0 0 1990 2000 2010 2020 2030 2040 2050 2060 2070 2080 2090 2100 1990 2000 2010 2020 2030 2040 2050 2060 2070 2080 2090 2100 More ‘sustainable’ development paths make mitigation easier IPCC Emission Scenarios (grey) versus emissions path needed for stabilisation (red) A1T A1FI B1 B2 Source: IPCC 2001 Third Assessment Report, WG3, p. 151

4. The basis of SD-PAMs Article 2, the oft-forgotten second sentence: "Such a level should be achieved within a time-frame sufficient to allow ecosystems to adapt naturally to climate change, to ensure that food production is not threatened and to enable economic development to proceed in a sustainable manner." Principle in Article 3.4 “The Parties have a right to, and should, promote sustainable development.”

5. The basis of SD-PAMs Delhi Ministerial Declaration on Climate Change and Sustainable Development: Decision 1/CP.8 outlined the importance of linking climate change and sustainable development in both directions: mitigation measures should be “integrated with national development programmes, taking into account that economic development is essential for adopting measures to address climate change” and “National sustainable development strategies should integrate more fully climate change objectives in key areas such as water, energy, health, agriculture and biodiversity”

6. Strategic approach • New approach needed to effectively capture co-benefits of local sustainable development in developing countries • Build on existing commitments (FCCC Art 4.1, KP 10) • Give greater recognition to action taken by developing countries • A commitment to implement SD policies • not based on climate target, but choosing a development path that results in lowered emissions • Large-scale policies, measures, programmes of work not projects. • Formalise this pledge • Could be a list of countries • Could be a register of pledged policies and programmes • Establish methodologies for quantifying benefits of SD-PAMs (both SD and CC)

7. An example of an SD-PAM from South Africa • Development objectives • remove backlog of ~2.6 million households • Current policy • annually build 300 000 low cost houses • Possible shift to more sustainable development path • All new RDP houses built with a range of energy efficiency interventions • Insulation, ceilings, orientation, window size • Barrier is pressure on subsidy; enforce through codes • Incremental cost ~R 2000 / household – measures to plug price gap • Local benefits • Energy savings to household • Increased thermal comfort • Reduced indoor air pollution • Potential GHG emission reduction • 50 – 600 kt CO2-eq across all houses over period

8. Possible Approaches to Formalising SD-PAMs in the multi-lateral system • Country outlines future development objectives • Identifies PAMs to make development more sustainable • Pledge to implement policies for sustainable development • Register – formal recognition of action • E.g. Name of country in an Annex (FCCC Annex III) • E.g. list of SD-PAMs in a registry, maintained by Secretariat • Allow countries to decide whether to register and how to report

9. Implement and report • Implement SD-PAMs • Monitor implementation • National capacity to monitor critical • Regular reporting on implementation (FCCC Art. 12.4) • Could be part of national communications … • … separate reporting perhaps preferable • Primary reporting: SD units • Also quantify GHG co-benefits • Common metric • Review progress – further recognition

10. SD-PAMs and post-2012 • SD PAMs approach is complementary to and different from existing target based GHG reduction measures • …and could be important in mobilising developing country action • Turn climate from ‘threat’ into genuine opportunity to make development sustainable for DCs • Only requires a decision by the COP, not a whole new Protocol • Measuring and reporting on climate co-benefits of SD PAMs could enable trust-building under the Convention • One possible ‘package’: SD-PAMs, implemented through technology, enabled by finance, in balance with adaptation

11. THANK YOU