Dr Mitchell Lennan

Dr Mitchell Lennan, co-director of the Centre for Energy Law at the University of Aberdeen, attended the 64th sessions of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Subsidiary Bodies in Bonn, Germany.

The meetings, held between annual UN climate summits, focus on the technical negotiations that underpin international climate policy. Their outcomes will feed into COP31, due to be held in Antalya, Türkiye, later this year.

Dr Lennan, who has attended UN climate negotiations since COP26 in Glasgow in 2021, followed talks on the Ocean-Climate Dialogue, just transition and agriculture, as well as discussions on the implications of the International Court of Justice’s recent advisory opinion on climate change.

The opinion is expected to influence future climate negotiations by clarifying states’ legal obligations under international law, including climate change, oceans, biodiversity and human rights.

Negotiations became increasingly difficult as the meeting progressed, with countries remaining divided on issues including emissions reductions, adaptation and the transition away from fossil fuels. Several negotiating groups failed to agree text to take forward to COP31.

During the conference, Dr Lennan also met representatives from UN organisations, national delegations and international research bodies.

He said: “SB64 demonstrated both the importance and the challenges of multilateral climate change negotiations. While progress on several negotiating tracks proved difficult - and many share genuine concerns on whether this process is actually fit for purpose - the meeting provided valuable opportunities to exchange ideas with policymakers and international organisations.

“As the ocean continues to gain prominence within the UNFCCC process, it is increasingly important that legal research informs how ocean-based climate action is implemented in ways that are both effective and consistent with international law.”