Second Session of the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action (ADP 2)

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

Bonn, Germany

Co-Chairs, Madam Executive Secretary and colleagues. Nepal has the honour to make this statement on behalf of the LDCs. I associate myself with the statement made by Fiji on behalf of G77 and China, by Swaziland on behalf of the African Group, and by Nauru on behalf of AOSIS.

Co-Chairs, first of all, we express our appreciation to the Government of Germany for hosting this meeting. We would also like to express our gratitude to all the Parties that have provided voluntary contributions to make this meeting possible and to the Secretariat for the excellent arrangements.

Co-Chairs, for the proposed workshops and roundtable discussions, we urge you to give us sufficient time for discussions. In terms of contact groups, our preference is to have two contact groups for the two workstreams. We hope this will be the case in the future. We are also delighted that you have allocated a special session for observers.

Co-Chairs, under workstream I, it is time to start defining the structure and content of a robust science-based, equitable and inclusive regime to tackle climate change in an effective and efficient manner. The thematic areas need to be addressed in a way to keep the ADP manageable and provide it with the opportunity to deliver in a timely manner. The common but differentiated responsibilities; countries’ different and evolving capabilities; equity; historical, current and future trend of emissions; all need to be addressed in a meaningful and constructive manner, and not hold back the discussions.

Co-Chairs, Parties should initiate discussions around the many complex and crucial issues needed to operationalize the principles and provisions of the Convention and define what kind of approaches and types of commitments could be considered while designing the 2015 regime. How do we effectively articulate the various elements of the future regime: mitigation, adaptation, finance, capacity building, technology, transparency of action and support in a balanced manner?

Co-Chairs, we value the opportunity provided by workstream II to rapidly identify and implement enhanced mitigation actions with a view to stopping, reversing and closing the gap by 2020, to avoid increased impacts and to minimize climate induced loss and damage. Issues regarding the means to support rapid implementation of urgent but win-win mitigation options are a central component of workstream II.

Co-Chairs, adaptation is an extremely important issue especially for the LDCs as well as for other vulnerable countries. We believe action on adaptation should be further enhanced in the ADP. Nevertheless, adaptation will have its limits; therefore, in the long-term mitigation is the best form of adaptation. Otherwise, LDCs will be confronted with a situation where adaptation requirements will far exceed capacities even if all possible international support would be provided. Co-Chairs, you will recall that in Durban, the LDC group supported the agreement on workstream II with the specific mandate to close the emissions gap between the current level of ambition and what science tells us we need to achieve to be able to limit global warming below 1.5˚C.

We would like to see substantial progress on pre-2020 mitigation ambition, as the success or the failure of workstream II would affect the results negotiated under workstream I on the post-2020 agreement.

As the world’s most vulnerable, we have the moral right to claim that all the countries must take immediate and urgent climate action. We know that political will can close most of the gaps that would lead us to an unthinkable future. Though the science-driven climate project achieved a great deal, we now know that science alone cannot take us further. We need more action on the ground, driven by scientifically informed political will.

The LDCs will continue to engage productively and proactively and will continue to play a leadership role in the interest of the nearly one billion most vulnerable people that we represent in this process. We are the first group to experiment and implement effective adaptation options through our NAPAs, our group members are equipped with profound experience that could be shared in our negotiations for 2015 agreement. Also, some of our member countries have ambitious plans to follow low carbon development pathways. Although not a mandatory requirement for LDCs, some of the members of our group were the first to submit NAMAs. With sufficient financial and other support, our countries can be examples on how transformative action can lead to development pathways needed for now and for future.

However, despite all our positive efforts, the reality is we still need the developed countries to take the lead and all the others to join us. LDCs combined cannot make much difference unless others join us.

Co-Chairs, here is our request to all the Parties for this session. Let us take a step forward from exchanging views on concepts, to actually focusing on the content.

Our group is committed to constructive engagement in advancing the work under both the workstreams of the ADP.

I thank you.