Daily Mains Question – GS 3 – 21st June 2025

TPP
Jun 21
4 min read

Welcome to your daily Mains Model Answer — crafted to help you navigate the critical mid-year dynamics of international climate diplomacy, particularly the role of the Bonn Climate Change Conference in shaping global adaptation and finance strategies under the UNFCCC framework. This question explores how this technical and preparatory forum, held annually in Bonn, Germany, acts as a crucial staging ground for negotiations ahead of the COP (Conference of the Parties), especially on pressing issues like the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA) and climate finance architecture.

Convened under the aegis of the Subsidiary Bodies (SBI and SBSTA), the conference brings together government delegates, civil society, scientists, and indigenous representatives to advance the implementation of previous COP commitments while laying the groundwork for future action. As countries head toward COP30 in Brazil, the outcomes from Bonn 2024 are expected to play a decisive role in operationalizing the GGA and unlocking meaningful climate finance pathways for vulnerable nations. This topic holds high relevance for GS Paper 2 (International Relations, Environmental Agreements) and GS Paper 3 (Environment, Climate Finance, and Disaster Management), given India’s strategic interests in climate equity, adaptation support, and sustainable development.

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QUESTION

The Bonn Climate Change Conference serves as a crucial mid-year platform under the UNFCCC process. Discuss its role in shaping the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA) and climate finance frameworks ahead of COP30.

Answer: The Bonn Climate Change Conference is an annual mid-year gathering held under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) — an international treaty adopted in 1992 that provides the foundational framework for global climate negotiations. Officially termed as the Sessions of the UNFCCC Subsidiary Bodies (SBs), it is the UNFCCC’s only other regular climate conference besides the annual Conference of the Parties (COP).

The conference plays a pivotal role in shaping the technical agenda and implementation strategies on climate issues — especially on emerging priorities like the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA) and climate finance, acting as a precursor to the decisions made at the COP.

1. Institutional Framework and Participation

The Bonn Conference is led by the two permanent subsidiary bodies of the UNFCCC:
- Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI) – Assesses and reviews implementation of decisions, and discusses financial/technical support to developing countries.
- Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) – Offers scientific insights and acts as a bridge between the IPCC and UNFCCC policymaking.
It brings together over 5,000 participants, including:
- National delegates from 190+ countries
- Indigenous representatives
- Scientists and researchers
- Civil society organizations
- International institutions such as the UNDP, UNEP, World Bank

2. Role in Shaping the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA)

Background: The GGA was first introduced in the Paris Agreement (2015) as a shared objective to enhance global adaptive capacity, resilience, and reduce vulnerability to climate change.
Slow Progress: Despite its inclusion in 2015, meaningful progress was limited until COP28 (Dubai, 2023), where parties finally adopted a framework to operationalize the GGA.
Bonn’s Contribution:
- The Bonn 2024 Conference (June 16–26) is expected to host detailed negotiations on:
  - Defining measurable targets under GGA
  - Establishing tracking and reporting metrics
  - Ensuring inclusion of vulnerable nations' adaptation needs
- Facilitates technical consultations among parties to align national adaptation plans (NAPs) with the emerging global framework.
- Influences the adaptation work programme by recommending actionable priorities to be taken forward at COP30 (Brazil, 2025).

3. Role in Advancing Climate Finance Frameworks

Financial Support for Adaptation:
- SBI-led discussions at Bonn focus on enhancing transparency, predictability, and accessibility of climate finance.
- Key topics include:
  - Mobilization of the committed USD 100 billion per year by developed countries.
  - Transition to a new collective quantified goal (NCQG) on climate finance post-2025.
  - Operationalizing Loss and Damage Fund, agreed at COP27 and shaped further in COP28.
Equity and Justice Considerations:
- Bonn provides a platform for developing nations, Small Island Developing States (SIDS), and Least Developed Countries (LDCs) to voice concerns over:
  - Delays in disbursement
  - Lack of concessional financing
  - Need for grant-based over loan-based climate aid

4. Link to COP30 and Agenda Setting

The outcomes and recommendations made by the SBs at Bonn often serve as the basis for draft texts and agenda items at the COP.
As per Harvard Kennedy School, “The results of the negotiations in Bonn are highly influential on decisions made at the COP.”
Bonn 2024 will aim to:
- Finalize technical modalities for GGA implementation
- Shape dialogue on the NCQG and financial architecture reform
- Identify gaps and bottlenecks from COP28 for remedial action at COP30

Conclusion

The Bonn Climate Change Conference, through the work of the SBI and SBSTA, serves as a critical linchpin in the global climate governance structure. By bringing together diverse stakeholders to address scientific, financial, and implementation-related challenges, the conference plays an indispensable role in shaping the climate negotiation trajectory ahead of COP30. In particular, its influence on the Global Goal on Adaptation and climate finance frameworks will be central to ensuring equitable and effective climate action in the coming decade.

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