Overview

• Principal global treaty on climate change.
• Adopted at the Rio Earth Summit (1992); entered into force in 1994.
• Provides the legal and institutional framework for global climate action.
• 198 Parties: 197 countries + European Union
• Among the most widely ratified international treaties
• UNFCCC decisions guided by assessments of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
• IPCC established by UNEP and WMO (1988)

Objective

• Stabilisation of greenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations at a level that:
  • Prevents dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system
  • Allows ecosystems to adapt naturally
  • Ensures food security
  • Enables sustainable economic development

Nature of the Convention

• Framework convention:
  • Sets principles and processes
  • Does not impose legally binding emission targets by itself
• Basis for later agreements like Kyoto Protocol and Paris Agreement

Core Principles

Common but Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities (CBDR–RC)

• Recognises historical responsibility of developed countries
• Differentiated obligations for developed and developing nations

Equity

• Climate action must consider development needs of poorer countries

Precautionary Principle

• Lack of full scientific certainty is not a reason to delay action

Sustainable Development

• Climate measures should not restrict economic growth of developing states

Country Classification

• Annex I: Developed countries + economies in transition
• Annex II: Developed countries with obligation to provide finance & technology
• Non-Annex I: Developing countries (including India)

Institutional Structure

Conference of the Parties (COP)

• Supreme decision-making body
• Meets annually
• Reviews implementation and adopts new commitments

Subsidiary Bodies

• SBSTA: Scientific and Technological Advice
• SBI: Implementation-related matters

Secretariat

• Located in Bonn, Germany
• Provides administrative and technical support

Major Agreements under UNFCCC

Kyoto Protocol (1997)

• Legally binding emission targets for developed countries
• Target: ~5% reduction from 1990 levels (2008–2012)
• Introduced market mechanisms:
  • Clean Development Mechanism (CDM)
  • Joint Implementation
  • Emissions Trading

Paris Agreement (2015)

• Applies to all countries
• Long-term goals:
  • Limit warming to well below 2°C
  • Pursue efforts to limit to 1.5°C
• Introduced Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)
• Emphasises:
  • Mitigation
  • Adaptation
  • Climate finance
  • Transparency framework

Importance

• Backbone of global climate governance
• Platform for:
  • Climate negotiations
  • Finance commitments
  • Technology transfer
  • Adaptation and loss & damage discussions