COP7 - The Marrakech Accords

The Road to Ratification

COP7 concluded in Morocco on the 10th of November after 2 weeks of intense negotiations. The "Marrakech Accords" finalized issues left undecided at COP6 and COP6 bis for the first commitment period 2008-2012. By reaching agreement in November, delegates from 170 countries paved the way for the ratification of the Protocol. The Protocol will take effect only when ratified by at least 55 countries accounting for at least 55 percent of developed country emissions of carbon dioxide in 1990. Many countries expressed the hope that entry into force will be achieved by the time of the Johannesburg summit.

Some of the crucial decisions taken at COP7:

Compliance: the character of compliance regime was an important issue in Marrakech. Countries such as Australia, Russia and Canada expressed reservations about the legal nature of the consequences and a final decision was delayed until after the Protocol has entered into force at COP/MOP 1, making a formal amendment to the Protocol necessary.

Clean Development Mechanism: In Marrakech, the operating rules for the CDM were established and the COP named 10 members and 10 alternates to the CDM Executive board, with John Ashe of Antigua and Barbuda as chair and Sozaburo Okamatsu (Japan) as Vice Chair.

It was also decided at Marrakech that unilateral CDM is allowed, enabling a developing country to undertake a CDM project without an Annex I partner and market the resulting emissions credits.

Mechanisms (CDM, JI, Emissions Trading): At Marrakech, the question of eligibility was resolved to the satisfaction of the Umbrella Group. The Group argued that denying mechanisms eligibility as a consequence of non-compliance was self-defeating as the mechanisms, in particular emissions trading, would be the most effective way to restore compliance. The final decision was that eligibility to participate in the mechanisms is not conditional on the state of a country's sinks inventory or it's compliance.

A new instrument, the RMU (removal unit) was created to represent the effects of carbon sinks. There will be full tradability between the mechanisms, and banking of credits from all three mechanisms, except for RMUs which are not bankable into the second commitment period.

Sinks: The Russian Federation increased its designated allowance of 17.63 megatons per year to 33 megatons per year.

Sink activities will be separated so the inventories for forest carbon are considered separately from those relating to agricultural soils.

Finally, the introductory text from COP6 bis on the need to protect biodiversity has become a mandatory reporting requirement.

Documents

The Marrakesh Accords can be downloaded here.