United Nations Framework Convention On Climate Change

A global environmental agreement known as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was created to counteract "hazardous human intrusion with the climate structure," in part by steadying greenhouse gas meditations in the atmosphere. 154 nations signed it at the 1992 Earth Summit, also known as the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), which took place in Rio de Janeiro from June 3–14, 1992. In 1996, the organization's secretariat moved from Geneva to Bonn. On March 21, 1994, it became effective.

The treaty outlined future policy arrangements, consistent conferences, and scientific research that would allow ecosystems to adjust to climate change organically, ensure that food production was not jeopardized, and promote sustainable economic growth.

International Agreements

The first set of regulations under the UNFCCC were put into effect by the 1997-signed Kyoto Protocol, which lasted from 2005 to 2020. The Paris Accord, which became effective in 2016, replaced the Kyoto Protocol. As of 2022, the UNFCCC had 198 parties and UNFCCC were put into effect by the 1997-signed Kyoto Protocol, which lasted from 2005 to 2020. The Paris Accord, which became effective in 2016, replaced the Kyoto Protocol.

As of 2022, the UNFCCC had 198 parties. The Conference of the Parties (COP), its top decision-making body, has annual meetings to review the status of efforts to combat climate change. Since the UNFCCC's implementation, it has been charged that it has failed to reduce carbon dioxide emissions since significant signatory states are not upholding their respective obligations.

Three groups of signatory governments were assigned various duties under the pact. They include emerging countries, developed countries with additional monetary responsibilities, and developed countries. The developed countries, also known as Annex 1 countries, originally comprised the European Union and 38 states, 13 of which were Eastern European states transitioning to democracy and market economies. the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

Convention Agreement In 1992

An International Negotiation Committee met in New York from April 30 to May 9, 1992, and drafted the Framework Convention's language during this time. At the UNCED conference in Rio de Janeiro, the Convention was adopted on May 9, 1992, and it was made available for signature on June 4, 1992. (Known by its popular title, the Earth Summit).

With the intention of "averting dangerous anthropogenic interfering with Earth's climate system," 154 countries joined the UNFCCC on June 12th, 1992. After it was ratified, the governments of the signatory countries agreed to lower atmospheric absorptions of greenhouse gases. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions significantly would be necessary to fulfill this objective. Annual Conference of the Parties (COP) meetings of the parties to the convention have taken place since 1995 to review the status of efforts to combat climate change.

By the year 2000, Annex I Parties will be required by the Framework Convention to stabilize their greenhouse gas releases, which include carbon dioxide and other anthropogenic gases not covered by the Montreal Protocol.

Action For Climate Empowerment (ACE)

The UNFCCC chose the phrase "Action for Climate Empowerment" (ACE) in 2015 in order to have a better label for this subject than "Article 6". It makes reference to Article 6 of the original 1992 language of the convention and focuses on six key areas: education, training, public cognizance, public engagement, public access to data, and international collaboration on these concerns.

The adoption of these six categories has been cited as being essential for enabling everyone to comprehend and take part in the issues posed by climate change. In order to combat climate change and its repercussions, ACE calls on governments to create and implement instructive and public cognizance programs, train scientific, technical, and administrative professionals, enhance information access, and encourage public engagement.

Kyoto Protocol

The Annex I Parties' goal of stabilizing their emissions at 1990 levels by the year 2000 was deemed "inadequate" during the 1st Conference of the Parties (COP-1), and subsequent negotiations at subsequent conferences resulted in the Kyoto Protocol, which was signed in 1997. With the signing of the Kyoto Protocol, developed nations were given binding duties under international law to cut back on greenhouse gas emissions between 2008 and 2012.

An accord from the 2010 United Nations Climate Change Conference states that future global warming should be kept to a maximum of 2 °C (3.6 °F) above pre-industrial levels. The first of the two commitment periods for the Kyoto Protocol ran from 2008 to 2012. With the Doha Amendment, the Protocol was updated in 2012 to include the second one for the years 2013 through 2020.

Paris Agreement

The 195 parties present at the 2015 UN Climate Change Conference in Paris committed to work toward keeping global warming to 1.5 °C or below. The nations that had ratified the Paris Accord did so on November 4, 2016, and since then, additional nations have done the same.

Conferences of the Parties (Cop)

Every year, conferences under the auspices of the UNFCCC are organized. They serve as the official gathering of UNFCCC Parties Conferences of the Parties to assess progress in combating climate change and, starting in the mid-1990s, to negotiate the Kyoto Protocol to set binding responsibilities for industrialized countries to cut their greenhouse gas emissions. Berlin hosted the first conference (COP1) in 1995.

The Kyoto Protocol, which was revised during the 2012 Doha Conference, was created as a result of the third conference (COP3), which was held in Kyoto (COP18, CMP 8). The Paris Agreement was adopted as the outcome of the COP21 (CMP11) meeting, which was held in Paris. The COP26 (CMA3) was held in Glasgow, Scotland, in the United Kingdom. Sultan al-Jaber has been chosen by the ruler to serve as the event's chairman for COP28, which is captivating place in the United Arab Emirates.

Secretariat

A secretariat in Bonn, Germany, facilitates the UNFCCC's activities. Under Article 8 of the treaty, a secretariat is established, with the Executive Secretary serving as its head. On May 18, 2016, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon named Patricia Espinosa as Executive Secretary. She began serving on 18 July 2016. Espinosa left her job on July 16, 2022. In the interim, Ibrahim Thiaw, the UN Under Secretary General, serves as the Executive Secretary.

Critiques Of the UNFCCC

Some claim that the accepted Kyoto Protocol and the UNFCCC's general framework have failed to fulfill their declared objectives of lowering carbon dioxide. The US Climate Change Envoy, Todd Stern, described the difficulties with the UNFCCC process in a lecture he gave at his alma mater. "Climate change is not a typical environmental concern.

Countries worry about evolution and progress because it affects almost every area of a state's economy. The UNFCCC established the "technology mechanism" to disperse these resources to developing nations, but this distribution was too mild and, along with the shortcomings of the Kyoto Protocol's first commitment period, resulted in low endorsement numbers for the second obligation period.

Conclusion

The UNFCCC recognizes that the share of emissions from developing countries is projected to increase, but it works to support these nations in limiting emissions so as not to harm their economies. To more accurately determine the impact of climate change, the organization focused on mitigation rather than adaptation in the early years of the treaty.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. What is Montreal protocol?

Ans. The Montreal Protocol is an international agreement that was established in 1987 to safeguard the stratospheric ozone layer by gradually banning the manufacturing and consumption of chemicals that deplete the ozone layer (ODS). The first international agreement to be ratified by every nation is the Montreal Protocol, which has established itself as creative and effective.

Q2. Who discovered the ozone layer?

Ans. 'Unexpected and large drops in stratospheric ozone levels above the Antarctic stations of Halley and Faraday,' was first noticed by three British Antarctic Survey scientists, Brian Gardiner, Joe Farman, and Jonathan Shanklin, on May 16, 1985.

Q3. Why was CFCs banned?

Ans. A class of produced chemicals without smell is known as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). Since 1996, CFCs have been prohibited due to their harm to the ozone layer of the earth. The biodiversity of the earth itself will suffer as a result of ozone layer loss.