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LDC group statement at opening of ADP 2-4

Date: 10 March 2014

Fourth part of the second session of the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action (ADP 2-4)

Opening statement by Nepal on behalf of the Least Developed Countries Group 

Bonn, Germany

Co-Chairs, distinguished delegates,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the LDC Group. We associate with the statements made by Bolivia on behalf of G77 and China, Sudan on behalf of the Africa Group, and Nauru on behalf of the AOSIS.

We thank the Secretariat for the preparations made for this meeting and also thank the government and people of Germany for their warm hospitality as usual.

Co-Chairs, we congratulate you for your excellent work in Warsaw. We welcome all your efforts to keep us up-to-date and up-to-speed through informal, scenario and reflection notes. We also appreciate “the co-chairs corner” on the website informing us on your various inter-sessional activities.

Co-chairs, our overall impression on the Warsaw ADP outcome is that it helped us to make progress under few elements, but it also pushed us back on some fundamental elements, including the legal perspective of the ADP outcome. We strongly believe that the final contributions of Parties should be anchored in the 2015 agreement in the form of commitments.

We are also concerned that the deadline and the process for delivering pledges agreed in Warsaw is too late and does not allow sufficient time for review. Also, no formal process for such a review of pledges has been agreed.

Co-Chairs, our tasks in Bonn include making the necessary arrangements to ensure high ambition up front, when Parties make their first offers. Our aim should be to encourage earlier actions by the end of December 2014 for those countries that are willing and capable to do so.

We look forward to hearing from Parties concerning the initiatives they are undertaking to prepare their national contributions. As LDCs, we do not have adequate capacity to undertake such preparations and will need support to enable us to do so.

In Bonn, we must also strive to progress in refining elements for the draft negotiating text and make clear progress on the issue of the adequacy of both individual and aggregate mitigation commitments will be kept well below 1.5°C by the end of the century

Co-Chairs, on the short-term ambition (WS2), the LDCs strongly believe that Parties must accelerate the technical examination of actions with high mitigation potentials with a view to implement those actions as early as possible in areas identified to close the emissions gap.

In this regard, the focus of the meeting on renewable energy and energy efficiency is very relevant.

Co-Chairs, 2014 is the year of ambition for us. Several high level engagements are scheduled from Abu Dhabi to Lima, leading us through the KP Parties ratchet up meeting in June in Bonn, to the Head of States meeting in September in New York. Our priority should be to focus on reaching the greatest possible ambition. If we cannot significantly increase ambition this year, we may miss the most important opportunity to succeed next year.

Co-chairs, we would like re-emphasize the need to remain on schedule and complete the adoption of our agreement on time in Paris. Work of the greatest importance is still ahead of us.

Under your strong leadership, our group expects to work toward a successful outcome in Bonn that will build strong foundations for Lima.

We have our full confidence in you and our Group is happy to support you in every step to achieve the goals of the ADP here in Bonn.

Thank you.

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