The 2023 ecbi Oxford Seminar convened from 23-25 August at St. Catherine’s College, with developing country and European negotiators discussing:

• the recent decision adopted by SBSTA58 and SBI58 to establish a Just Transition Work Programme (JTWP), including possible JTWP elements that could be agreed to in Dubai, main topics of discussion under the JTWP, and the role and outcome of the annual high-level ministerial roundtable on just transition;
• gender, including linkages between gender-responsive climate action and just transition for promoting inclusive opportunities for all as countries embark on low-emissions development;
• climate finance sources, including possible ways to generate new and additional grant funding for the Financial Mechanism, and particularly for the new L&D fund, such as Climate Solidarity Levies or a Share of Proceeds in the Voluntary Carbon Market;
• Article 2.1.c on making financial flows consistent with a pathway towards low GHG emissions and climate-resilient development;
• new collective quantified goal on climate finance (NCQG), which is expected to be agreed by the end of 2024;
• the Sharm el-Sheikh Mitigation Ambition and Implementation Work Programme (MWP), including possible elements of a decision for CMA5, what kind of decision could help countries better implement their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), how 2030 NDC targets can be strengthened, and whether such action should be included under the MWP or the Global Stocktake outcome (GST) decision; and
• the GST outcome with respect to mitigation and non-mitigation aspects, and process and format of the outcome.

A total of 47 participants attended the Seminar, including 22 women and 25 men some of whom participated virtually. Sixteen developing country negotiators and 13 European partners attended in person. The Seminar was preceded by the annual Fellows Colloquium from 21-23 August, during which developing country fellows discussed and prepared for the exchange of views with their European partners.

Lauding the opportunities presented by the Seminar for negotiators to better understand each other’s underlying positions on the issues discussed at the formal meetings in Bonn and the COPs, participants said the Oxford Seminar represents one of the few arenas in the climate process where there is space to listen carefully to one another. They also noted that "the Seminar puts us in a good space to see where the differences lie and how we can then bridge them as we move forward". One developed country participant acknowledged that “If the negotiations had the same spirit, approach, and level of discussions [as here in Oxford], I think we would be much, much further along.” Another said “We have done things here that we could not [achieve] this year in the formal negotiations or anywhere else.” In addition, one developing country negotiator explained that many LDC delegates have become senior negotiators through the ecbi Fellowship Programme. Another participant said she appreciated a meeting “where you have your own name on your name tag and not your country” and that “we are here as individuals” and, as such, the Seminar presents an opportunity to really get to know each other on a personal level that is not always possible during the formal negotiations.

Summery report of the 2023 Oxford Seminar. See below for Seminar presentations