Woods Hole Research Center

The Woods Hole Research Center played an active role in setting the stage for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Such activities started from early negotiations at meetings in Villach, Austria, and Bellagio, Italy, and continued in an international workshop held in Woods Hole in 1988. The results of the workshop were widely referred to in the UN General Assembly session that year. Following that workshop, the Center strengthened its support by organizing a series of regional meetings in developing countries that an international agreement designed to stop global warming should reflect the needs of developing countries as well as the more industrially advanced. 

Since 1987, the Center has joined in the preparation of the reports by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The first report was endorsed in the Second World Climate Conference in 1990, resulting in the creation of Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee for a Framework Convention on Climate Change (INC) to elaborate a treaty for adoption at the 1992 Earth Summit. The Center’s Dr. Kilapati Ramakrishna was appointed as a special advisor and worked extensively with the INC in drafting this treaty, now the UNFCCC, which entered into force on March 21, 1994. Center staff were also involved in the drafting of subsequent IPCCC reports.

The Center has worked with the UNFCCC in many capacities since it was created – as an advisor, collaborator and helped in implementing some of its decisions. In addition, the Center in 1989, for example, helped establish the Climate Action Network (CAN) to facilitate the cooperation between nongovernmental organizations in the US and the rest of the international community.  This has become an important voice of environmental community and civil society more generally throughout the history of the development of climate regime and has acquired widespread acceptance by the international community including the United Nations system.

The Parties typically convene annually in a Conference of the Parties (COP), and twice a year in meetings of the subsidiary bodies. The Center continues an active role through its evolvement and contributions to each COP.  The summary below is a short overview of COPs 1-11, with a particular emphasis on the Center’s role.

COP1
Berlin, Germany
March 28 – April 7, 1995
COP1 resulted in a mandate to begin a process toward appropriate action for the period beyond 2000 and agreement on a number of other important decisions, such as the establishment of a pilot phase for the implementation of joint projects. The Center actively contributed to the preparation of COP1 by producing reports including commissioned papers and official documents for the early six INC meetings before the COP1. These reports were formally introduced into the official deliberations by governmental delegates, which were followed closely by the decisions of COP1.  

COP2
Geneva, Switzerland
July, 1996

COP2 concluded by noting the “Geneva Declaration” which calls for legally binding objectives and significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. Though the US for the first time supported a legally binding agreement to fulfill the Berlin Mandate, COP2 highlighted the sharpest differences between delegations, suggesting the need for substantial work before COP3 in Kyoto, Japan. To that end, the Center endeavored to develop additional policy dialogues after the meeting to strengthen the ongoing efforts both at inter- and non- governmental levels, which provided an opportunity for senior negotiators and experts in law, policy, science and technology to work together and engage in substantive discussions.

COP3
Kyoto, Japan
December, 1997
COP3 adopted the Kyoto Protocol to the UNFCCC, which committed developed countries and countries in transition to a market economy to achieve reductions of their overall emissions of six greenhouse gases by an average of 5.2% below 1990 levels between 2008-2012 (also referred to as the First Commitment Period), with specific targets varying from country to country.  Five representatives of the Center attended the conference, and the Center co-hosted several special events in order to encourage discussions on implications of the Protocol proposal between scientific experts from all over the world. The Center co-organized a panel discussion entitled National Communications by Non-Annex I Countries: Case Studies from Asia, which was attended by panelists from leading policy research institutions in Asia.

COP4
Buenos Aires, Argentina
October 31 – November 14, 1998
As preparation for COP4, the Center co-organized a “Pre-COP Informal Workshop on Climate Change.” This was an effort to help delegates formulate priorities and exchange their ideas. The meeting brought together government delegates and experts to discuss various issues of concern, including the possibility of a Buenos Aires action plan. At COP4, Parties adopted a “Buenos Aires Plan of Action,” which expressed the determination “to strengthen the implementation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and prepare for the future entry into force of the Kyoto Protocol…” and the demonstration of “substantial progress” on various issues including the financial mechanism, development and transfer of technology, and the work program of the mechanisms of the Kyoto Protocol.

The Center’s work with several other institutions formed the later Consortium for North-South Partnership on Climate Change. The Consortium held a seminar at the tenth sessions of the Subsidiary Bodies in Bonn in order to continue discussion on how financing of Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects will affect and be influenced by other forms of international cooperative investments and joint ventures.

COP5
Bonn, Germany
October 25 – November 5, 1999
At COP5, which was held in conjunction with the eleventh sessions of the Subsidiary Bodies, delegates continued work toward fulfilling the Buenos Aires Plan of Action. Under that plan, Parties set a two-year deadline for strengthening FCCC implementation and preparing for the future entry into force of the Kyoto Protocol. The Center’s staff participated as observers to the official negotiating sessions and in special side events.  

COP6
The Hague, Netherlands
November 13 – 24, 2000
Center staff attended COP-6, which aimed to set the operational details for commitments on reducing emissions of greenhouse gases under the 1997 Kyoto Protocol and to reach an agreement on actions to strengthen implementation of the UNFCCC itself. Issues negotiated included the transfer of technology and capacity building to assist developing countries and countries with economies in transition; the adverse effects of climate change and the impact of implementation of response measures; best practices in domestic policies and measures to address greenhouse gas emissions; the mechanisms outline under the Protocol; a compliance system for the Protocol; and issues relating to the land use, land-use change and forestry sector. The Center’s Deputy Director, Kilaparti Ramakrishna, served as a moderator for a discussion entitled “Kyoto Protocol Needs Assessment: Capacity-Building Needs of Developing Countries with a focus on the Implementation for the Kyoto Protocol” which presented preliminary findings of a study overseen by the Consortium for North-South Dialogue on Climate Change and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research to survey the capacity building needs with regards to climate change of 30 developing countries in four different regions of the world. The Center also released Asia Looking Ahead: Initial Stages of National Communications Reporting, which compiled the Center’s activities in Asia considered issues surrounding implementation of the Convention and, in particular, participation by Asian developing countries.

COP7
Marrakesh, Morocco
October 29 – November 10, 2001
COP7 sought to finalize agreement on the operational details for commitments on reducing emissions of greenhouse gases under the 1997 Kyoto Protocol. It also sought agreement on actions to strengthen implementation of the UNFCCC. The conference adopted a package of decisions – known as the “Marrakesh Accords” – which specified how to measure emissions and reductions, the extent to which carbon dioxide absorbed by carbon sinks can be counted towards the Kyoto targets, how the joint implementation and emissions trading systems will work, and the rules for ensuring compliance with commitments. The Conference also adopted a “Marrakech Ministerial Declaration” stating that action on climate change can make a contribution to sustainable development and calls for capacity building, technology innovation, and cooperation with the biodiversity and desertification conventions.

COP8
New Delhi, India
October 23 – November 1, 2002
The proceedings of COP8 adopted the Delhi Declaration on Climate Change and Sustainable Development. The meeting marked a new phase of negotiations focused on implementation of the Marrakesh Accords and UNFCCC issues, and Parties attempted to adopt decisions and conclusions on a number of issues previously left off the agenda due to the pressing negotiations under the Buenos Aires Plan of Action, as well as the improved guidelines for non-Annex I national communications; several issues under the financial mechanism; “good practices” in policies and measures; research and systematic observation; cooperation with relevant international organizations and methodological issues.

COP9
Milan, Italy
December 1-12, 2003
At COP9, Parties adopted decisions and conclusions on issues including definitions and modalities for including afforestation and reforestation activities under the Clean Development Mechanism; good practice guidance on land use, land-use change and forestry; the Special Climate Change Fund; and the Lease Developed Countries Fund. The official negotiations reached consensus on decisions concerning sinks in the CDM for which the COP will be remembered as the “Forest COP.” The meeting also highlighted that climate change issues remained high on the political agenda of many NGOs, business groups, and the academic community.

COP10
Buenos Aires, Argentina
December 6-17, 2004
COP10 was the last Conference of the Parties before the Kyoto Protocol went into force February 16, 2005. During the meeting, Parties addressed and adopted numerous decisions and conclusions on issues including: technology transfer; issues relating to land use, land-use change and forestry; the UNFCCC's financial mechanism; Annex I national communications; capacity building; adverse effects and adaptation; and a UNFCCC article on education, training and public awareness. In addition to adopting formal decisions, the conference has evolved into a global forum for businesses, environmental groups and others to exchange ideas, make contacts, and present new reports and findings.

The Center continued its active involvement by cosponsoring two panel discussions, both of which were focused on “Sensible Directions on HFCs: Global Innovation in Technology and Policy Solutions.” The panels discussed the efforts to address both climate and ozone impacts as part of the responsible use of HFCs, including Life Cycle Climate Performance Analysis, what the air conditioning industry is doing to meet this challenge, and the interaction among policy, regulation, and the innovation necessary to develop the technologies to address both ozone and climate issues.

COP11
Montreal, Canada
November 28 - December 10, 2005
At COP11, parties discussed and adopted decisions on the outstanding operational details of the Kyoto Protocol, including formally adopting the Marrakesh Accords. COP11 addressed issues such as capacity building technology development and transfer, and several financial and budge-related issues. After lengthy negotiations, the COP also agreed on a process to consider future action under the Kyoto Protocol through the establishment of an Ad-hoc Working Group on Kyoto Protocol (AWG-KP), which would involve a series of workshops to continue the dialogue on the matter amongst all the Parties through to COP13.

For more information on each COP, please visit the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change website.