Highlights from the recently concluded international climate change talks in Accra, Ghana

Phase I of the Kyoto Protocol will draw to a close in 2012. Negotiations for a follow-up protocol have already been started internationally. The key talks in this negotiation series will be held in Copenhagen in the end of 2009. As a run-up to these crucial talks, the UN held an international climate change meeting in Accra, Ghana from 21 to 27 August 2008. Around 1,600 participants, including government delegates from 160 countries and representatives from environmental organizations, business and industry and research institutions, attended this meeting.

The Accra talks have been positive and encouraging. Governments made it clear in Accra that they regard deforestation to be an important factor towards climate change and signaled a readiness to tackle deforestation. The issue of deforestation will thus be very much on the table in the Copenhagen Meeting.

Discussions at Accra also seriously looked at ways to improve the CDM process. Lack of substantial CDM investment in Africa was cited as one of the shortcomings of the current CDM. Climate change can not be mitigated without including Africa in the fight against climate change. It is essential that Africa does not get left behind.

Countries also focused on "sectoral approaches" - through which countries can address emissions from a whole sector of their economy. But it was clearly emphasized that such approaches should not lead to binding targets for developing countries and it should be up to the country to decide if it wants to implement sectoral policies (or not).

The above main conclusions of Accra clearly indicate the agenda for the next round of climate change talks which will be held in Poznań, Poland in December 2008 in preparation of the grand finale talks in Copenhagen in end of 2009.