United Nations Framework

Convention on Climate Change

(UNFCCC)
 COP 21: Paris
Earth Summit Climate COP 25: Madrid
Agreement

1992 2015 2019

1997 2018

COP 3: Kyoto
Protocol COP 24: Katowice
 United Nations Framework Convention on
Climate Change
The agreement
● An international
environmental treaty
● Adopted on 9 May 1992 at the
Earth Summit in Rio de
Janeiro and came into force
in 1994
● 197 parties and 165
signatories
Objective Enforcement
● To stabilize ● Sets non-binding limits on
greenhouse gas greenhouse gas emissions
concentrations ● No enforcement
mechanisms.
● Annual meet from 1995 in
(COP) to assess progress in
dealing with climate change
 United Nations Framework Convention on
Climate Change
The agreement Objective Principle

● Came into force in 2005 and
India ratified in 2002
● To reduce and ● Principle of common but
control the differentiated
greenhouse responsibilities.
concentration ● First commitment period -
2008 to 2012 and the Second
commitment period
2012-2020.
 COP 3: Kyoto Protocol, 1997
● Apart from national
measures, the
agreement has three International
Emissions
mechanisms that are
Trading
means to achieve the
Clean
Kyoto targets:
Development Joint
Mechanism Implementation
Principle of Common but Differentiated
Responsibilities under Kyoto Protocol
Industrialized
2
nations
groups

Obligation
Common but based on
Developing
countries Differentiated emissions
Responsibilities

Principle of
historical
responsibility
 Principle of Common but Differentiated
Responsibilities under Kyoto Protocol
● Developed countries like USA, UK, France etc. have to take more responsibilities for reducing
greenhouse gas emissions.
○ Therefore, certain binding limits for reducing GHG emissions have been put for them.
○ They also have to financially contribute to the reduction of GHG emissions in the developing
and least developing countries.
● The developing and least developing countries have to take every possible action for reducing
their greenhouse gas emissions.
○ However, their actions are voluntary in nature, and there are no binding targets for them
 Kyoto Protocol emission reduction gases
includes
● Carbon dioxide (CO2),
● Methane (CH4), Nitrous oxide (N2O),
● Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6),
● Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) groups and
● Perfluorocarbons (PFCs) groups.
 COP 21: Paris Agreement 2015
● 195 nations participated in Paris, France
● Aim
○ Reducing global greenhouse gas emissions and thus reduce the threat of dangerous climate
change.
○ To keep global temperature rise to below 2 degrees Celsius from pre-industrial levels, and to try
and limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
● Objective
○ To achieve a legally binding and universal agreement on climate to be signed in 2015 and
implemented by 2020.
 COP 21: Paris Agreement 2015
● Financial support
○ Rich and developed countries to provide financial and technological support to the developing
world in its quest to fight and adapt to climate change.
○ It entered into force in November 2016 after (ratification by 55 countries that account for at least
55% of global emissions) had been met. 180+ countries have ratified it and India signed & ratified
it in 2016.
 COP 21: Paris Agreement 2015
● The Nationally determined contributions (NDCs)
○ These were conceived at Paris summit which require each Party to prepare, communicate and
maintain successive nationally determined contributions (NDCs) that it intends to achieve.

India’s NDC
● To reduce the emissions intensity of its GDP by 33 to 35 percent by 2030 from 2005 level.
● To achieve about 40 per cent cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel based
energy resources by 2030, with the help of transfer of technology and low cost international finance,
including from Green Climate Fund.
● To create an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent through additional
forest and tree cover by 2030
 COP 24: Katowice Conference, 2018
● Three key issues:
○ Finalization of guidelines/ modalities/ rules for the implementation of the Paris Agreement.
○ Conclusion of 2018 Facilitative Talanoa Dialogue.
○ How to conduct the Global Stocktake (GST) of the effectiveness of climate action in 2023 and
how to assess progress on the development and transfer of technology.
● Global Stocktake (GST)
○ Article 14 of the Paris Agreement requires the CMA to periodically take stock of the
implementation of the Paris Agreement and to assess collective progress towards achieving
the purpose of the Agreement and its long-term goals
○ This process is called the global stocktake
 COP 24: Katowice Conference, 2018
● Other agreements
○ Guidelines that relate to the process for establishing new targets on finance from 2025
onwards to follow-on from the current target of mobilizing $100 billion per year from 2020 to
support developing countries
○ It also notes with concern the current, urgent and emerging needs related to extreme
weather events and slow onset events in developing countries that are particularly
vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change
 COP 25: Madrid Conference, 2019
● From December 2, 2019
● Originally scheduled at Chile (South America), the Summit was held at Madrid (Spain) due to
violent mass movement across the country made Chile reluctant from hosting the event.
● Aim
○ Bringing the 2015 Paris Agreement into force
○ Paving the way for more ambitious carbon reduction commitments from governments at the
next conference (COP26 to be held in Glasgow, UK).
○ To develop guidelines on how international carbon markets will work (Article 6 of the Paris
Agreement).
○ Other focus areas were adaptation to climate impacts, loss and damage suffered by
developing nations due to climate change, finance for decarbonization and more.
 COP 25: Madrid Conference, 2019
● Longest COP on record, over-running by almost two days.
● One of the most fractious and ultimately disappointing in terms of the progress it made.
● UN secretary general António Guterres said he was “disappointed” with the results of COP25 and
that “the international community lost an important opportunity to show increased ambition
on mitigation, adaptation & finance to tackle the climate crisis.”

Way forward
● In 2020, nations are due to submit new or updated national climate action plans, referred to as
Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
● In the end, the nations did agree to bring improved emissions reduction plans to COP26 in
2020 after up to 80 countries announced their intentions to do so