Pabna University of Science and Technology

Assignment On

Major Environmental Conference

Course Name: Environmental Administration and Management

Course Code: PA-3205

Submission Date: 14.11.2021

Submitted To: Submitted By:

Bulbul Ahamed Rabiul Islam

Assistant Professor Roll: 171915

Department of Public Administration Year: 3rd, Semester: 2nd

Pabna University of Science Session: 2016-17

and Technology Department of Pubic

Administration

Pabna University of Science

and Technology
 Table of Content

Introduction

Common objectives of environment and climate change conferences

Major conferences of environment and climate change

Achievement of Bangladesh from environment and climate change conferences

Conclusion

References
Introduction : Environment and climate change is the one of the most burning issue for the
world. Protecting environment is not possible to do alone. It's a collaborative task. The
environmental movement has made considerable progress from the first Greenpeace protest
involving six people and a boat in 1971, to the environmental conferences of today involving
the world’s leaders and commanding global attention. Environmental conference focus on
sustainability along with protecting environmentin fundamental ways. Rather than focusing on
specific regional problems such as acid rain or ‘sectoral’ problems such as human health or food,
they try to take a synoptic overview of the relationship between human society and the natural
world. The United Nations Environment Programme was established in 1972 by the The United
Nations General Assembly (UNGA) as a subsidiary body of the UNGA, reporting through the
ECOSOC, following a recommendation by the participants of the Stockholm Conference, as the
‘environmental pillar’ of the UN system. It is the only UN body exclusively dedicated to
international environmental matters and has played a significant catalytic role in the
development of Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) and soft law rules. The UN
Environment Programme was established to address major and emerging environmental policy
issues.The governing body was then composed of 58 member Governing Council adopting
political decisions on major global and regional environmental issues. The 2012 UN Conference
on Sustainable Development (“Rio+20”) discussed intensively the strengthening of the
architecture of international environmental governance, including the strengthening of the UN
Environment Programme through making the membership of the Governing Council universal
starting 2013 and then transforming it into the United Nations Environment Assembly.Despite
UN Environment’s potentially limiting status as a UN Programme, rather than a specialized
agency or body of the UN, it has made significant contributions to the development and
application of both international environmental law and policy. In particular, it has had a
catalytic role in developing many legally-binding treaties, as well as soft-law instruments, which
makes it one of the most relevant players in International Environmental Governance. UN
Environment works in collaboration with many partners, such as other UN entities, national
governments, IGOs and NGOs, business, industry, the media and civil society, to further the
development of international environmental law and policy.

Objectives of Environment and climate change conference : Every conferences held

for acquiring some objectives. The main objectives of environment and climate change
conference for ensuring development along with maintain environment balance. The common
objectives of environment and climate change conference are as follows

1. To improve the conservation of biodiversity through educational, scientific management and

training programme;
2. To improve the quality of life of the world community through management and
conservation of natural resources.

3. To ensure that the natural environment is used wisely and continues to be available for the
benefit and enjoyment of future generations.

4. To decrease vulnerability and improve adaptation capacity among underdeveloped and

developing countries associated with climate change.

5. To foster clear awareness of, and concern about, economic, social, political, and ecological
interdependence in the world.

6.Built up cooperation among different countries.

7. Encourage to use renewable energy

8.Maintain Industrialization policy.

9. Arrenged workshops on wide range of environmental problems (climate change, marine

ecosystem, environment awareness).

10. Ensure sustainable development

These are the common objectives of environment and climate change conferences.

Major environment and climate change conferences are as follows :

The United Nations Conference on Environment and Sustainable Development – 1972

The first major environmental conference was held in Stockholm in 1972 – the UN Conference on
Environment and Sustainable Development. Since then, the 5th of June, also known as World
Environment Day (WED), has been celebrated to mark the first day of this Conference. The Stockholm
Declaration agreed upon 26 principles on development and the environment. This was the first time at a
global convention that countries acknowledged their responsibility to the environment. This Convention
was the starting point for the Rio Summit and the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD),
Johannesburg, and began the talks that led to the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement. It also
influenced the creation of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and brought
environmental issues such as whaling to the forefront for the Global South and the European
Community. The UNEP would also become the first UN agency to be based in a developing country,
Kenya. This meeting also marked the raising of several other ecological issues in future global
discussions, from the ozone layer to the global commons.
The 1st World Climate Conference – 1979

The First World Climate Conference (WCC-1) was convened in 1979 by the World Meteorological
Organisation (WMO), with several other major organisations as “a world conference of experts on
climate and mankind”. The Conference organised groups to look at information on climate, important
topics and research climate change. Scientists and experts on climate change met to discuss issues at
the meeting, as it was held to work with scientific organisations as well. This programme helped assess
the prevailing knowledge of climate change and the man-made and natural factors that lead to climate
change. It also analysed the effects of climate change on the future of human society and planned to use
technology and organisation of resources to meet climate goals. The WCC-1 resulted in the formation of
the World Climate Programme, the World Climate Research Programme, the UN Environmental
Programme (UNEP) and later the establishment of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
(IPCC) in 1988. The IPCC provides scientific research to the UNFCCC and the world’s governments for
decision-making and policies on climate change, making it a major international authority on the subject.
The WCC-1 was held in Geneva, Switzerland.

The Conference on the Protection of the Ozone Layer, Vienna – 1985

In 1985, scientists discovered a growing hole in the Ozone Layer over Antarctica. The depletion of the
Layer can have adverse effects on the environment and cause skin cancer in humans. The issue became
widely discussed and culminated in the Vienna Convention. The Conference on the Protection of the
Ozone Layer adopted the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer which was signed in
both Vienna, Austria, and the UN Headquarters in New York, USA, in 1985-86. This was the first
convention to be ratified by all its members at the time, later becoming universally validated in 2009.
The Agreement was framed to reduce chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) production worldwide, and is viewed as
one of the most successful treaties because of approval from 197 countries. The meeting encouraged
international cooperation and set the stage for the Montreal Protocol, an international treaty, adopted
in 1987 in Montreal, Canada. The Protocol has resulted in the phasing-out of 99% of chemicals that
deplete the Ozone Shield in products globally. Research also shows that the Layer is repairing slowly. To
mark the validation of the Protocol, the UN set apart the 16th of September as the International Day for
the Preservation of the Ozone Layer.

World Commission on Environment and Development (1987)

The Bruntland Report, or Our Common Future, is the report made by the World Commission on
Environment and Development in 1987. It is often called the Bruntland report after the chairperson of
the commission, the then Prime Minister of Norway, Mrs Gro Harlem Bruntland. The report is one of the
seminal environmental documents of the 20th century. It is representative of the growing global
awareness in the second half of the century of the enormous environmental problems facing the planet,
and of a growing shift towards global environmental action. As the report observes, humankind saw the
earth from space for the first time only a few decades ago, and yet this has had a profound impact on
the way in which we perceive the earth and our place on it. The Commission's brief was to re-examine
the critical environment and development problems on the planet and to formulate realistic proposals
to solve them; to create a 'global agenda for change'. It was to work within the principle of
Environmentally Sustainable Development (ESD). The report represents a collective call to action,
involving all nation states as participants in finding solutions to the 'tragedy of the commons'. In the
words of Bruntland, one of its goals was:"to help define shared perceptions of long-term environmental
issues and the appropriate efforts needed to deal successfully with the problems of protecting and
enhancing the environment, a long-term agenda for action during the coming decades, and aspirational
goals of the world community." (Bruntland 1987:ix). The report approaches the environmental and
development issues which were (and still are) facing the world as one common challenge, to be solved
by collective multilateral action rather than through the pursuit of national self-interest. It examines
population and human resources, food security, species and ecosystems, energy, industry, and 'the
urban challenge' of humans in their built environment. Importantly, it approaches these common
concerns with a holistic perspective. For example, the report illustrates how the problems of poverty
and population are interconnected. By examining the interactions between the problems facing the
world, the report develops common approaches to peace, security, development and the
environment.The report makes institutional and legal recommendations for change in order to confront
common global problems. Critically amongst these recommendations is the call for the development
and expansion of international institutions for co-operation, and legal mechanisms to confront common
concerns. The report was effectively calling for international action on issues of common concern.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the report called for increased co-operation with industry. The
Bruntland report has often been subject to criticism, on the grounds that many of its 'forecasts' did not
come true. However such criticisms are perhaps missing the significance of the report and the fact that
despite inaccuracies in forecasting, the Bruntland report's premise of the need for global environmental
action has not been invalidated. The Bruntland report must, as with any other historical document, be
seen as a product of its time. Viewed in the historical context of the late 1980's, the Bruntland report
can be viewed as a landmark document in terms of furthering environmentalism in the following
decades. Tangible results have flowed from the Bruntland report, such as the emergence of
International Agreement's such as the Montreal and Kyoto Protocols, and Agenda 21, which further
enshrined the concept of environmentally sustainable development.

United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 3-14 June 1992 :

It is a new blueprint for international action on the environment. The United Nations Conference on
Environment and Development (UNCED), also known as the 'Earth Summit', was held in Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil, from 3-14 June 1992. This global conference, held on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the
first Human Environment Conference in Stockholm, Sweden, in 1972, brought together political leaders,
diplomats, scientists, representatives of the media and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) from
179 countries for a massive effort to focus on the impact of human socio-economic activities on the
environment. A 'Global Forum' of NGOs was also held in Rio de Janeiro at the same time, bringing
together an unprecedented number of NGO representatives, who presented their own vision of the
world's future in relation to the environment and socio-economic development. The Rio de Janeiro
conference highlighted how different social, economic and environmental factors are interdependent
and evolve together, and how success in one sector requires action in other sectors to be sustained over
time. The primary objective of the Rio 'Earth Summit' was to produce a broad agenda and a new
blueprint for international action on environmental and development issues that would help guide
international cooperation and development policy in the twenty-first century. The 'Earth Summit'
concluded that the concept of sustainable development was an attainable goal for all the people of the
world, regardless of whether they were at the local, national, regional or international level. It also
recognized that integrating and balancing economic, social and environmental concerns in meeting our
needs is vital for sustaining human life on the planet and that such an integrated approach is possible.
The conference also recognized that integrating and balancing economic, social and environmental
dimensions required new perceptions of the way we produce and consume, the way we live and work,
and the way we make decisions. This concept was revolutionary for its time, and it sparked a lively
debate within governments and between governments and their citizens on how to ensure sustainability
for development.One of the major results of the UNCED Conference was Agenda 21, a daring program
of action calling for new strategies to invest in the future to achieve overall sustainable development in
the 21st century. Its recommendations ranged from new methods of education, to new ways of
preserving natural resources and new ways of participating in a sustainable economy. The 'Earth
Summit' had many great achievements: the Rio Declaration and its 27 universal principles, the United
Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Convention on Biological Diversity;
and the Declaration on the principles of forest management . The 'Earth Summit' also led to the creation
of the Commission on Sustainable Development.

The Millennium Summit – 2000

In the 21st Century, environmental talks were no longer led by scientists and research experts. Instead,
national developmental interests drove prime ministers, presidents, heads of state and ministries of
foreign affairs to take more of a lead alongside other stakeholders. The Millennium Summit was held in
the year 2000, and aimed to explore the UN’s changing role at the beginning of the 21st Century. It was
one of the largest gatherings of world leaders and led to the establishment of 8 Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs) and the Millennium Declaration. The Declaration was a document
containing the values, objectives and agenda for the new century. The seventh goal was to ensure
environmental sustainability. Around this time, the United States and the European Union had a falling
out that would stall the conclusion of the Kyoto Protocol, and would lead to the US withdrawing from it.
However, this did not hinder the finalisation of the Protocol in 2001 due to deliberations between the
remaining Member States. The Summit’s participants agreed to encourage conversation and
stewardship in the future, on matters of preserving the environment. Several aims were listed including
protecting the ecosystem, reducing losses of biodiversity, reversing the losses of natural resources, and
halving the population without access to water and sanitation by 2015.

World Summit on Sustainable Development (Johannesburg, 2002)

The Johannesburg Summit focused on the implementation and financing of sustainable development;
and it restated the importance of integrating the three pillars of sustainable development:
environmental, economic and social. Above all, however, the Johannesburg Summit highlighted the
importance of eradicating poverty and promoting human development (United Nations, 2010b). A plan
for implementation of the World Summit on Sustainable Development was created and reaffirmed
many of the objectives and actions agreed upon 10 years earlier under Agenda 21. It also reaffirmed
States’ commitment to the Barbados Programme of Action. During the preparatory process, a regional
instrument, the Rio de Janeiro Platform for Action on the Road to Johannesburg, was adopted. Also
adopted during the Summit of 2002 was the Latin American and Caribbean Initiative for Sustainable
Development, which was subsequently ratified by the Forum of Ministers of the Environment of Latin
America and the Caribbean. Given the importance it attached to poverty and human development
issues, the Johannesburg Summit was closely linked to the Millennium Summit, held in 2000, which had
produced the Millennium Declaration and defined a set of objectives that laid the foundations for the
Millennium Development Goals. The inclusion of environmental sustainability as Goal 7 was recognition
not only of the intrinsic value of the environment, but also of its importance for poverty reduction,
health, gender equality and other components of well-being (United Nations, 2010b). The Johannesburg
Summit also stressed the means of implementation of sustainable development and particularly its
financing, by linking it to the International Conference on Financing for Development (Monterrey, 2002),
where the international community agreed upon new measures related to this theme, in fulfilment of
the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities.

Meaning of COP : Conference of the Parties (COP) The COP is the supreme decision-making body of the
Convention. All States that are Parties to the Convention are represented at the COP, at which they
review the implementation of the Convention and any other legal instruments that the COP adopts and
take decisions necessary to promote the effective implementation of the Convention, including
institutional and administrative arrangements.

COP 1 – 1995

The first Conference of the Parties was held in Berlin in 1995. It focused on the abilities of countries to
develop climate change-related policies. The meeting involved negotiations with leaders of developed
countries to make legally-binding obligations to lower carbon emissions. COP 1 assembled the UNFCCC
to review progress on climate change for the first time, creating a tradition of assessment that would be
followed in future COPs. Based on the evaluation, it was decided that the commitments by developed
countries needed strengthening. Hence, the Group of 77 (G77) pushed for the Berlin Mandate to
reinvigorate those commitments. This Directive recognised that developed countries were more
responsible for the high amounts of Greenhouse Gas emissions than developing nations. It also began
conversations that would lead to the Kyoto Protocol, a more legally binding and accepted Agreement. It
led to adjustments in mechanisms, such as the Clean Development Mechanism, to limit emissions in
such a way that developing countries would not bear the costs.
COP 15 – 2009

The Copenhagen Summit or Conference of the Parties 15 (COP 15) was convened in Copenhagen,
Denmark in 2009. It was a culmination of the two-year long debates to improve international
cooperation on climate variability that began in Bali (COP 13). The Copenhagen Accord was drafted
acknowledging that global temperature rise must be below 2°C, but this was done without any serious
commitments to reduce emissions and any basic targets to aim for. A large number of countries were
against the Agreement, but in 2010 many went on to sign the Agreement or hint at approval. The
Accord’s provisions were seen as a step back from the success of the Kyoto Protocol and showed more
coordinated work was required. The Agreement failed at becoming legally-binding and enforceable.
Several developing and developed nations blamed each other for the “failure” of the Conference. While
it aimed for an extension of the Kyoto Protocol and resolution for negotiations, none of this happened.
Instead, the negotiations had to be stretched into 2010 when they started addressing emission-related
problems. Many nations pledged to take action on the Agreement but there was no formal acceptance
of the Copenhagen Accord. In spite of a deadlock in many of the negotiations, this Summit was a success
because it influenced better teamwork between Members and talks before COP 16, Cancun, Mexico and
future conventions. The UNFCCC web page describes COP 15 perfectly: “the Copenhagen Climate
Change Conference raised climate change policy to the highest political level.”

COP 21 – 2015

2015 was an eventful year for climate change in international politics. The UN announced the
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Goal 13 dealt with climate change. The G7 Summit in
Germany focused on climate change as a key theme and France hosted the 21st Conference of the
Parties in Paris. COP 21 dealt primarily with the Paris Agreement, a ground-breaking document in the
world of climate diplomacy. For the first time in two decades, a universal Agreement on climate, that
was legally binding, was finally reached. A total of 174 nations signed the Agreement and initiated
adoption of the provisions on Earth Day, 22 April 2016. Several meetings were set up before the
Convention in preparation, to create a draft of the Accord. The Paris Agreement aimed to limit
temperature rises in the 21st Century to below 2°C, and if possible, even lower than 1.5°C. Furthermore,
it was meant to empower countries to mitigate the impact of climate change, with updated technology,
an improved more transparent framework of response, more public awareness on environmental issues
and greater financial support for developing nations. The Accord came into force on 4 November 2016.

Achievement of Bangladesh from environment and climate change conferences :

Climate change draws the highest attention in the past couple of decades as a result of the
disruption in the environmental balance resulting from the negative consequences of the
industrial revolution and man’s consumption of natural resources. The world now fears a
devastating deterioration of the environmental condition. Amongst the most debated issues in
this context is climate change and global warming, the concern of which is not limited to a
single country, but rather encompasses the whole world since there is no region or state which
is not affected by it. Climate change summit is a platform that helps the developing countries to
bargain with the developed industrial community. Bangladesh as a delta, is highly prone to
dangers of climate change. Neither the Cap and Trade system nor the global carbon market
compensates the level of danger, the country already encountered. Moreover, it is not
sufficient to have the mere climate fund every year after bargaining. the issue in depth and
finds no significant achievement for Bangladesh from climate change negotiations, other than
insufficient climate funds. Bangladesh has already been able to bring about certain positive
changes in Bangladesh environment. Working together with other pro-environment forces, It
has been successful to

a) make the government implement removal of two-stroke engine vehicles (TSEV) that were
one of the major causes of urban air pollution in Bangladesh;

b) make the government to put an end to the use of leaded gasoline in Bangladesh;

c) make the government re-impose the ban on the use of polythene bags; cheap bags outlet

d) encourage and spread the environment movement to various districts of Bangladesh;

e) organize the International Conference on Bangladesh Environment (ICBEN) 2002, leading to

the publication of volumes containing up to date information on and analysis of all major
environmental problems of Bangladesh and updating Dhaka Declaration on Bangladesh
Environment to 2002;

f) initiate a river saving movement in Dhaka, leading to the removal of many structures
encroaching rivers in and around Dhaka.cheap bags outlet

g) organize the International Conference on Regional Cooperation on Transboundary Rivers

(ICRCTR) 2004 to draw attention to the likely impact of the proposed Indian River Linking
Project (IRLP) and leading to the publication of the volume that is now the most comprehensive
source of information and analysis regarding IRLP;

h) adopt a comprehensive Resolution on Rivers that reveals the flaws of the Commercial
Approach to rivers and argues for the Ecological Approach to rivers;

i) initiate a country-wide river saving movement through organization of the National

Conference on Rivers in 2006; and

j) organize the National Conference on Energy and Environment to discuss and adopt the
comprehensive Resolution on Energy, as a guide for future sustained campaign on these issues.
Conclusion : The role of the Environmental conferences is an area that includes many
disciplines, which develops knowledge, awareness, critical attitude, values and skills that will
enable individuals and society to maintain and improve the quality of the environment in which
we live. Environmental conferences teache critical thinking, raises public awareness, directs the
solution of environmental problems. It is the cornerstone of growing a society responsible for
the future of our planet. And such encourages us to cooperate with national and international
partners to acquire new techniques and methods in this regard. , A clean environment brings
more energy and less disease. Harmony with the environment brings harmony even within the
community itself. The environment unites us with each other and is the legacy that connects us
to future generations. Therefore, the younger generation needs to be more concern about the
environment, because the nature that surrounds us, determines who we human beings.
References

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the World Summit. Abingdon: Routledge.

★ FoEE, 2002. EU loses earth summit leadership role. Press release: 28 August 2002 Kellow, A.,
and Zito, A., 2002. Steering throguht complexity: EU environmental regulation in the
international context. Political Studies 50 (1) pp. 44

★ Gupta, S. et al. (2007) “Evaluations of existing climate change agreements. In (Book chapter):
Policies, instruments, and co-operative arrangements”, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge,
UK, and New York, N.Y., U.S.A.

★ Haas, P., 2002. UN Conferences and Constructivist Governance of the Environment pp. 81-87

★ Hinrichsen, Don. Our Common Future: A Reader's Guide. The 'Brundtland Report' Explained.
London: Earthscan Ltd., 1987.

★ Hossain A. Marinova D.(2009) “Climate Change Rhetoric in Bangladesh: A curse or A Blessing”,

Rajshahi University Journal of Environmental Science, Vol 1, page 1-12IEA (2012), World Energy
Outlook 2012 (WEO 2012), OECD/IEA, Paris.

★ IPCC (2007), Revised 1996 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories (1996
IPCC Guidelines), IPCC, Bracknell, UK.

★ Ivanova, Maria. "Designing the United Nations Environment Programme: A Story of

Compromise and Confrontation." International Environmental Agreements 7 (2015): 337–61.

★ Karan Capoor and Philippe Ambrosi (2006), State and Trends of the Carbon Market 2006,
International Emission Trading Association (IETA], Washington D.C.

★ The Conference of the Parties,Recalling Article 4, paragraphs 1, 3 and 7, and Article 12,
paragraphs 1, 4, 5 and 7, of the Convention,

★United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, 16 May 1972. UN Photo/Yutaka

Nagata

★ Wood, H. W. "The United Nations World Charter for Nature: The Developing Nations'
Initiative to Establish Protections for the Environment." Ecology Law Quarterly 977 (1987): 977–
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