In order to discuss environmental challenges, political leaders and activists from around the world gathered at the 2016 United Nations Climate Change Conference. This conference took place from November 7–18, 2016, in Marrakech, Morocco. Parties took measures and made declarations on a variety of other matters in addition to creating the Paris rules. The conference's main goal was to discuss and put into practice various proposals to address climate change. This article will explain to you about Marrakech Climate Change Conference –COP 22, 2016 which will be helpful in preparing the Environment Syllabus for the UPSC Civil Service exam.

Why COP 22?

• In order to assist developing nations in coping with the effects of climate change, wealthy and industrialized countries are required to pay climate funding to them.
• The wealthy nations have pledged to mobilize at least $100 billion annually beginning in 2020.
• Developing nations have been asking for updates on this pledge, and what they have received from the developed world has both disappointed and enraged them.
• The developed economies stated in a recent assessment that they were on track to raise at least USD 64 billion by 2020 from public funding alone.
• These projections, however, were based on a discredited OECD research published last year that asserted that between 2010 and 2014, more than USD 60 billion in climate money had already gone from the industrialized to the developing world.
• The developing counties were both disappointed and incensed by this. Thus, the Marrakech Climate Change Conference was organized.

COP 22 - Objectives

• The objective of each COP is to get a consensus on how to address climate change and lower greenhouse gas emissions.
• However, a new subject is picked and emphasized every year.
• The two main topics of the twenty-second session were water management and decarbonizing energy sources.
• The COP22 agenda included the methods by which the Paris Agreement will be implemented as well as the schedule for negotiations.

COP 22 - Issues Addressed

Finance

• The Paris Agreement requires developed nations to provide biennial reports on the amount of financial support offered or raised through "public interventions" as well as the amount of support that is anticipated in the future.
• SBSTA started pondering public finance accounting in Marrakech.
• The accounting should only apply to flows from developed to developing countries, or to broader flows of public finance.

Global Stocktake

Parties started debating the stocktake's format, inputs, timetable, duration, outcome, and connection to other components of the Paris architecture in Marrakech.

“Orphan” Issues

• How to handle a group of so-called orphan issues, which are mentioned in the Paris Agreement but not referred to the APA or another body for further review, was one of the most contentious topics at Marrakech.
• These concerns include whether to set uniform deadlines for NDCs (parties adopted various deadlines in the first round), any regulations governing parties' adjustments to their NDCs, and the formulation of a new collective financial objective after 2025.
• In the absence of a clear direction, the parties simply requested that the APA continue to consider possible additional matters relating to the implementation of the Paris Agreement.

Adaptation Fund

• Unresolved from Paris was the question of whether the Paris Agreement will maintain the Kyoto Protocol's Adaptation Fund, which aids developing nations with their adaptation efforts.
• Although wealthier nations would like to direct aid through the recently established Green Climate Fund, developing nations fought tenaciously to maintain the Adaptation Fund.
• In the absence of choices regarding governance and other matters, parties agreed that the fund "shall serve the Paris Agreement."

2018 Facilitative Dialogue

• In Paris, parties decided to conduct an early stocktake through a "facilitative dialogue" in 2018, anticipating that the Paris Agreement would not be in force for several years.
• Parties in Marrakech requested that the COP 22 and COP 23 presidencies consult jointly on how to organise the facilitative dialogue and report back at COP 23.

Mid-century Strategies

• The Paris Agreement encourages countries to develop and submit "long-term low greenhouse gas emission development strategies," which outline the types of actions required to achieve much deeper emission reductions.
• Canada, Germany, Mexico, and the United States were the first countries to submit what became known as mid-century strategies in Marrakech.
• A new initiative called the 2050 Pathway Platform was launched with the support of a diverse range of national governments, cities, states, and businesses to assist other countries in developing their own mid-century strategies.

COP 22 - Important Outcomes

• International Solar Alliance: A draft Framework Agreement for the International Solar Alliance was brought to Marrakesh by India, and 26 nations signed it.
• Adaptation of African Agriculture (AAA): By fostering sustainable soil management, better water management, and risk mitigation techniques, a project aims to climate-proof agriculture in Africa. There are presently 27 African nations using the platform.
• Mission Innovation: These nations, which together account for approximately 80% of all funding in sustainable energy research, will collaborate more on research projects.
• Smart grids, carbon capture and sequestration, solar energy storage cell construction, clean energy materials, and sustainable biofuels are some of the innovation issues that the mission has identified.
• Climate Vulnerable Forum: Member nations emphasized that the goal should be to limit the rise in global temperature to 1.5 (not 2) degrees Celsius since pre-industrial times.
• They committed to bringing greater ambition to their climate action plans before 2020 and to developing a long-term low-carbon development strategy for 2050 with the goal of staying below 1.5 degrees Celsius.
• Additionally, they declared that between 2030 and 2050, they will work to produce only renewable energy.
• Sub-national Jurisdictions Target: 165 sub-national jurisdictions, known as the "Under2s," declared that they would limit their per-person emissions to under 2 tonnes of carbon dioxide by 2050 and lower their emissions by between 80% and 95% below 1990 levels.
• 2050 Pathway Platform: This initiative seeks to persuade nations, communities, and corporations to endorse long-term goals for addressing climate change.
• In order to fulfill their obligations under the Paris Agreement, countries have filed 5-year or 10-year action plans.

Were India’s aspirations met at Marrakech?

• There was no mention of "Climate Justice." India's demand that industrialized nations change their habits to significantly decrease their emissions also fell short.
• In the political declaration known as the Marrakech Action Proclamation, even the mention of the long-standing concepts of justice and common but differentiated obligations could only find a very small space.
• India's actual negotiating delegation in the Moroccan capital continued to lack political leadership and human resources.
• India was frequently discovered to be absent from the critical parallel and closed-door discussions on climate finance.
• India also had to contend with the BASIC group's worsening coherence than ever before.
• The group, which consists of South Africa, Brazil, China, and India, surprised the EU in 2009 when it joined forces with the US in Copenhagen to negotiate on behalf of a new climate policy.
• But even before the Paris Agreement, South Africa began to stray from other countries in order to further its own national interests.
• Brazil gave evidence in Morocco that its political alignments and national interests at the climate talks had shifted away from the BASIC group and towards the US.

COP 22 - Importance

• Facilitative Discussion: The two-year milestone is significant because, in 2018, the parties to the Paris Agreement get together once more for a "facilitative discussion" in which nations will assess their success in putting the agreement's provisions into practice.
• Crucial Enforcement Instrument: COP 22 is a crucial enforcement instrument in the parties' joint effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions since it stands between the agreement and its eventual evaluation.
  • The fact that there is now insufficient action by the international community serves to emphasize the importance of COP22.
• According to a UN Environment Emissions Gap assessment, the globe is still expected to face a temperature rise of 2.9°C to 3.4°C this century, even if all the Paris pledges are fulfilled.
  • The problem can be solved in large part by switching to clean energy.
  • The private sector, which has been participating more and more in events like COP 22, also holds potential. Additionally, public-private collaborations were emphasized.

COP 22 - Challenges

• Lack of Funding And Resources: According to a report, achieving the global goal of adaptation (GGA), a crucial element of the Paris Agreement, is hampered by a lack of funding and resources.
• High Cost of Adaptation: Depending on the level of mitigation ambition, a UN assessment estimates that the cost of adaptation in developing countries might range from USD 140 billion to USD 300 billion by 2030 and from USD 280 billion to USD 500 billion by 2050.
• Need for Enhanced Support from Developed Nations: According to Sven Harmeling, CARE International's coordinator for climate change advocacy, rich countries need to increase their support for the most important community adaptation initiatives in developing nations.
• No Smart Investment: Every year, trillions of dollars are invested, and, to be honest, a large portion of those investments are not made in the most prudent manner.

Conclusion

The Marrakech Conference in general is a continuation of the many international conferences that the UN organized after the Kyoto Protocol. Technical terminology abounds in the realm of climate change, and terms like "capacity building" or "increased transparency framework" might be confusing to observers. But there is a chance to get concrete in Marrakech. Marrakesh has a wonderful opportunity to increase continental engagement and make climate action a more inclusive endeavor.

FAQs

MCQs

1. What was the focus of COP 22 held in Marrakech?

A) Launching the Paris Agreement

B) Discussing the implementation of the Paris Agreement

C) Introducing new climate goals

D) Reviewing previous COP outcomes

2. What is the aim of the Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action?

A) To replace the Kyoto Protocol

B) To strengthen collaborations for climate action

C) To promote industrial development

D) To create new emission reduction targets

3. What was a key achievement of COP 22?

A) The formal adoption of the Paris Agreement

B) The creation of a framework for climate finance

C) The establishment of a new emission trading scheme

D) A global commitment to ban fossil fuels

4. Which country led initiatives for renewable energy adoption during COP 22?

A) India

B) China

C) USA

D) Brazil

5. Which of the following best describes the primary funding goal discussed at COP 22?

A) $50 billion annually for mitigation

B) $100 billion annually by 2020

C) $150 billion annually by 2030

D) $200 billion for disaster relief

GS Mains Questions and Model Answers

Q1: Discuss the significance of the Marrakech Climate Change Conference (COP 22) in the global fight against climate change.

Answer: COP 22 was instrumental in advancing the goals of the Paris Agreement by focusing on its implementation. The conference emphasized transparency, climate finance, and capacity building for developing nations. It provided a platform for countries to reaffirm their commitments to reducing emissions and increasing renewable energy adoption. The launch of the Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action strengthened global collaborations, enabling governments, businesses, and civil society to work together toward sustainable solutions. COP 22 also addressed the specific needs of vulnerable nations, ensuring that climate actions were inclusive and equitable. This conference marked a significant step in operationalizing the Paris Agreement, demonstrating a collective effort to combat climate change effectively.

Q2: Evaluate the role of climate finance in achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement, with reference to COP 22.

Answer: Climate finance is crucial for achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement, as it enables developing countries to adapt to climate change and transition to low-carbon economies. COP 22 reaffirmed the $100 billion annual funding commitment by 2020, emphasizing its importance for mitigation and adaptation initiatives. This financial support helps developing nations invest in renewable energy, infrastructure, and disaster resilience. By addressing disparities in resources, climate finance fosters global equity in combating climate change. The frameworks developed at COP 22 for mobilizing and tracking climate finance have strengthened international trust and accountability, making it a cornerstone of effective global climate action.

Q3: Analyze India’s contribution to the Marrakech Climate Change Conference and its significance in global climate negotiations.

Answer: India played a pivotal role in COP 22 by emphasizing equity and the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities. It showcased its ambitious renewable energy targets, particularly through the International Solar Alliance, which aims to promote solar energy adoption globally. India highlighted the challenges faced by developing nations and called for increased financial and technological support from developed countries. These contributions underlined India’s commitment to climate action while advocating for the rights of vulnerable nations. India’s leadership at COP 22 enhanced its position in global climate negotiations and reinforced its role as a key player in sustainable development.

Previous Year Questions on Marrakech Conference

1. UPSC CSE Prelims 2021:

Question: Which of the following was a key focus area of COP 22?

A) Establishing emission reduction targets
B) Discussing the implementation of the Paris Agreement
C) Launching the Kyoto Protocol
D) Reviewing the Montreal Protocol

Answer: (B)

COP 22 focused on creating guidelines for the implementation of the Paris Agreement, emphasizing climate finance, capacity building, and transparency frameworks to support global climate action.

2. UPSC CSE Mains 2020:

Question: Discuss the importance of climate finance frameworks created at COP 22 in supporting global climate action.

Answer: COP 22 laid the foundation for climate finance frameworks that are critical for achieving the