UNFCCC and COP: The United Nations response to climate change

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is a treaty formulated by the United Nations (UN) and ratified by its member countries to organize the world’s response to what it saw as a global climate crisis. The Conference of the Parties (COP) is basically the annual conference of member countries of UNFCCC. It basically serves as the annual executive meeting of the UNFCCC.

The UNFCCC was ratified in 1992 when the UN officially came to the realization that human-created greenhouse gases were warming the planet to the potential detriment of humanity and other living things. As stated in the Text of the UNFCCC Treaty, it was formed out of concern “that human activities have been substantially increasing the atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases, that these increases enhance the natural greenhouse effect, and that this will result on average in an additional warming of the earth’s surface and atmosphere and may adversely affect natural ecosystems and humankind.” It also argues that “steps required to understand and address climate change will be environmentally, socially and economically most effective if they are based on relevant scientific, technical and economic considerations and continually re-evaluated in the light of new findings in these areas”.

It is clear from the convention’s treaty that it believes global coordination is needed if the world is to achieve an acceptable level of greenhouse gas emission reduction. The treaty argues that Developed Countries, the producers of most of the world’s greenhouse gases, should urgently embark on reduction efforts, given that they have a bigger burden to act. On the other hand, it demonstrates concerns for Small Island Nations that are experiencing the biggest share of the climate impact, despite their low greenhouse gas emission levels and particularly their inability to sufficiently address the climate adaptation and mitigation recommendations of the UNFCCC treaty, due to financial constraints. Taking all of this into consideration, the treaty proposes that Developed Countries extend financial and other forms of climate assistance to Developing Counteries.

UNFCCC states that “sustainable development policies and measures to protect the climate system against human-induced change should be appropriate for the specific conditions of each party [each country] and be integrated with national development programmes.” It also calls for a unity of purpose among countries, it says countries should “promote and cooperate, in the development, application and diffusion, including transfer of technologies, practices and processes that control, reduce or prevent anthropogenic [human-caused] emissions of greenhouse gases not controlled by the Montreal Protocol in all relevant sectors, including the energy, transport, industry, agriculture, forestry and waste management sectors.” In 1987 the Montreal Protocol, signed by all members of the UN, banned the manufacturing of substances that deplete the earth’s ozone layer. The convention treaty wants countries to now focus almost exclusively on climate change and greenhouse gas reduction and adaptation.

The convention asks countries to commit themselves to progress assessments, it says each should “identify and periodically review its own policies and practices which encourage activities that lead to greater levels of anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases not controlled by the Montreal Protocol than would otherwise occur.” The convention asks countries to engage in climate change “research and systematic observation” and also in climate “education, training and public awareness.”

In the UNFCCC Treaty, it is declared that “a Conference of the Parties is hereby established,” signaling the birth of COP. It says, “The Conference of the Parties as the supreme body of this convention shall keep under regular review the implementation of the convention and any related legal instruments that the Conference of the Parties may adopt.” The COP21 conference in Paris in 2015, and the resulting agreement, now known as the ‘Paris Agreement’, is ratified by most UN member countries. The UNFCCC is merely a framework conference, it sought and received the consent of countries regarding the UN’s policy prescriptions to combat climate change, and the Paris Agreement serves as the legally binding document of that international consensus, it contains most of the UNFCCC’s previously announced policy proposals. The Paris Agreement is discussed more fully elsewhere.