Bonn talks narrow gaps for climate blueprint 

"Solid progress" was made on what the new agreement must comprise when it is signed in December, UNFCCC Executive Secretary Yvo de Boer told journalists as the talks were closing on Wednesday.

As countries had "narrowed gaps" on how to strengthen action on climate change adaptation and technology transfer, they were now ready to move into "intensified negations based on texts," de Boer said. Parties were invited to submit their input to the draft negotiating text, which would be prepared for the next round of talks in Bonn in June. 

Bonn also agreed on two new meetings to take place on top of those already scheduled for June and October, in Bonn and Bangkok respectively. An informal gathering will take place in Bonn on 10-14 August, and a formal meeting will be held on 2-6 November in a location yet to be disclosed.

Tactical discussions

Observers commented that the atmosphere at the talks was more friendly than at previous meetings. US President Barack Obama raised hopes of achieving an ambitious agreement, as he pledged climate leadership during his visit to Prague last weekend.

In Bonn, however, US officials warned that the negotiations would not be easy, Reuters reported. The new US deputy special envoy for climate change, Jonathan Pershing, said the negotiations were just starting and it would take time to find common ground.

"The simple headline that temperatures are rising captures the public imagination as it ought, but the difficulties, complexities, the nuance of what you do about it requires a great deal of time, energy and sophistication," he added.

In fact, most industrialised countries were careful not to make precise statements about issues such as emissions offsets or the role of forests in the new deal before starting the full negotiations.

"It's been a tactical two weeks," said Michael Zammit Cutajar, a Maltese official chairing one of the UNFCCC working groups. "In general, on the whole question of numbers, people are very wary because [...] that's where the politics comes in," he added, according to Reuters.

Developing countries, emerging economies expected figures 

Speaking to journalists on the final day of the talks, Yvo de Boer said that the numbers discussed for emissions targets for industrialised countries were "well short" of the 25-40% below 1990 levels by 2020 proposed by the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

Moreover, industrialised countries still needed to clarify the scale of their financial commitment to fund mitigation and adaptation, de Boer said.

Norway's proposal to use revenue from carbon trading to provide funding seemed to strike a chord with developing nations, as did Mexico's suggestion to oblige all signatories to contribute to a climate adaptation and mitigation fund based on their emissions and GDP.

However, developing countries did not disguise their discontent, as they had expected industrialised nations to provide firmer commitments to a common target for emissions reductions and funding for climate action in poor countries. 

"We're very disappointed at this turn of events," China's climate ambassador, Yu Qingtai, told Reuters on Wednesday. He said they had come to Bonn with hopes that the ad hoc working group working on commitments for developed countries under the Kyoto Protocol would "finally focus on [its] central mandate": cutting emissions. 

Environmental groups disappointed

Green groups shared developing nations' disappointment, arguing that without funding and firm targets to cut emissions in industrialised countries, an agreement would fall short of what was needed to halt climate change.

"Stringent targets for emission cuts will be the heart of the new global deal, and finance for technology and adaptation is the lifeblood," said Kim Carstensen, leader of WWF's Global Climate Initiative. "But the heart is not beating and the blood is not flowing, as Bonn only managed to build a frame and some muscles, bringing parties closer to consensus on the overall structure and the mechanisms of the deal," he added.

As nearly 50 of the world's least developed countries called for $2 billion to help them adapt to national adaptation plans, WWF urged developed countries to send the "right signal" ahead of the June talks by providing that "modest amount", which the NGO said had already been promised eight years ago.

Yvo de Boer, executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), said the parties now had "necessary clarity" to move to negotiations based on texts. "This is important progress given the very limited time negotiators have to get to an agreed outcome in Copenhagen in December this year," he added.

Michael Zammit Cutajar, chair of the Ad Working Group Long-term Cooperative Action, noted that the talks had been "increasingly tactical". "There have been positive discussions on a range of issues, including on technology cooperation between industrialized and developing countries, as well as on the specificities of reducing emissions from deforestation in developing countries," he said.

Greenpeace argued that Obama had opened a door for the transatlantic alliance to "take real action" on climate change. "Obama has said today that the US is ready to lead on climate change. Now we need to see the European Union commit to working with him on that," said Jan Rovanesky, a Greenpeace Czech Republic climate campaigner.

WWF stated that Bonn had managed to bring parties closer to consensus on the overall structure of the future deal, but stressed that industrialised nations still had to commit to more stringent medium-term emission-reduction targets and provide adequate funding for developing countries. 

"The atmosphere at the talks in Bonn may have improved, but the climate out there is still spinning out of control. We must turn nice words into aggressive action to tackle the giant threat that's upon us," said Kim Carstensen, leader of WWF's Global Climate Initiative.