UNFCCC

environmental and developmental concerns. It forms the basis of the Paris Agreement. Since its commencement in 1994, the UNFCCC strives to stabilize greenhouse gas levels, prevent disruptive climate impacts, and attain a secure threshold of these gases within a practical timeframe. Moreover, it highlights the significance of protecting food production and fostering sustainable economic growth.

UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) will be helpful for UPSC IAS Exam preparation. GS Paper-3 Environment.   

Table of Content

• What is UNFCCC?
• Objectives of UNFCCC
• UNFCCC- Classification of Parties
• UNFCCC- Conference of the Parties (COP)
• Kyoto Protocol
• United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and India
• Shortcomings of UNFCCC
• Achievements of UNFCCC
• Conclusion
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is UNFCCC?

• Background: The UNFCCC, signed during the 1992 Earth Summit, also referred to as the Rio Summit or Rio Conference, is the United Nations Convention on Environment and Development.
• Effective Date: March 21, 1994.
• Membership: The Convention has nearly universal membership with 197 Parties and serves as the foundational treaty for the 2015 Paris Agreement.
• Headquarters: Initially based in Geneva, the secretariat relocated to Bonn, Germany, in 1996.

Objectives of UNFCCC

• To stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere.
• To prevent harmful human interference with the climate system.
• To achieve a specific level of greenhouse gas concentrations that safeguards against danger.
  • This level should be attained within a sufficient timeframe, allowing ecosystems to naturally adapt to climate change.
• Ensuring that food production is not endangered is a crucial aspect of the objective.
• To enable economic development to proceed sustainably.

UNFCCC- Classification of Parties & Observers

The Convention categorizes countries based on their respective commitments:

• Annex I Parties: These include industrialized countries that were members of the OECD in 1992, along with economies in transition (EIT Parties) such as the Russian Federation, the Baltic States, and various Central and Eastern European States.
• Annex II Parties: Consisting of OECD members from Annex I (excluding EIT Parties), these countries have the responsibility to provide financial resources for developing nations to undertake emission reduction activities and cope with the adverse impacts of climate change.
  • Moreover, they are obligated to take practical steps in promoting the development and transfer of environmentally friendly technologies to EIT Parties and developing countries.
  • Funding from Annex II Parties is primarily channelled through the financial mechanism of the Convention.
• Non-Annex I Parties: This group comprises mostly developing countries.
  • The Convention acknowledges certain subsets of developing countries as particularly susceptible to the adverse effects of climate change, including nations with low-lying coastal areas, desertification-prone regions, and vulnerability to drought.
  • Additionally, countries heavily reliant on income from fossil fuel production and commerce express concerns about the potential economic consequences of climate change response measures.
  • The Convention emphasizes addressing the unique needs and concerns of these vulnerable countries, such as investment, insurance, and technology transfer.
• Least developed countries: the Convention grants special consideration to the 49 Parties designated as least developed countries (LDCs) by theUnited Nations due to their limited capacity to respond to climate change and adapt to its adverse effects.
  • Parties are encouraged to fully consider the specific circumstances of LDCs when deliberating on funding and technology transfer initiatives.

UNFCCC- Conference of the Parties (COP)

Up until 2023, a total of 27 Conference of the Parties (COP) have taken place, outlined as follows:

Kyoto Protocol

• By 1995, nations reached the consensus that the emission reduction measures outlined in the Convention were inadequate.
• After two years of negotiations aimed at enhancing the global response to climate change, the Kyoto Protocol was adopted.
• On December 11th, 1997, the Kyoto Protocol was ratified in Kyoto, Japan.
  • The ratification process was time-consuming, and it officially took effect on February 16th, 2005.
• The Kyoto Protocol serves as a practical implementation of the Convention.
• It imposes obligations on developed nations to stabilize greenhouse gas emissions in line with the guiding principles of the Convention.
• Kyoto Protocol vs Convention: While the Convention urged developed nations to stabilize GHG emissions, the Protocol legally binds them to fulfil this obligation.

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and India

• In 1993, India became a party to the UNFCCC, with the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change (MoEFCC) serving as its focal agency.
• As a developing country, India is exempted from GHG reduction commitments due to its lower emissions and limited financial and technological resources.
• India strongly supports the principles of equity, common but differentiated responsibilities, and respect for capability at the Convention, based on the belief that industrialized nations bear significant responsibility for high emission levels.
  • A scientific study analyzing greenhouse gas emissions from 1850 to 2012 projected that the US, China, and the EU would contribute 50% each to the global temperature increase by 2100.
  • The US, the European Union, and China accounted for 20%, 17%, and 12% respectively of global emissions during the specified period, while India’s share was only 5%.
• Developing nations and LDCs prioritize poverty alleviation and development, which may limit their focus on environmental concerns. Therefore, they should have flexibility in evaluating their capacity to address climate change.
• India actively participates in climate change mitigation due to its vulnerability to risks such as erratic monsoons, floods, droughts, landslides, etc.
• The National Environment Policy of 2006 promotes sustainable development while considering ecological limitations and social justice requirements.
• The Indian government launched the National Action Plan on Climate Change in 2008.
• India made various commitments at COP 21 (Paris Agreement) to be achieved by 2030.
• One commitment is to increase forest and tree cover, creating an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent.
• India played a significant role in the establishment of the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure.
• During the UN climate negotiations in Poland, India reiterated the importance of upholding the CBDR principle despite concerns about attempts to weaken it by developed countries.

Shortcomings of UNFCCC

Non-inclusive:

• Ignoring Key Air Pollutants in the Kyoto Protocol Microscopic particulates originating from car engines and combustion-based power plants are widely recognized as significant environmental air pollutants.
• However, the Kyoto Protocol pays little attention to these dangerous pollutants.

Slow progress:

• Delays in Russia’s Participation in the Kyoto Protocol It took considerable time for COP to persuade Russia to join the Kyoto Protocol and their participation was not secured until 2005.
• UNFCCC’s Unsuccessful Attempt to Persuade the USA for Ratification Despite efforts by the UNFCCC, the United States remains uncommitted to ratifying the Kyoto Protocol, thereby keeping one of the largest greenhouse gas emitters outside of the agreement.

Unsustainable targets:

• Insufficient Contributions to Address Global Warming Industrialization has resulted in almost 1 degree Celsius of warming, and the contributions outlined in the Paris Agreement fall short of maintaining temperature increase below 2 degrees Celsius.

Unsatisfactory Response:

• Calls for Stricter Targets Numerous countries, particularly low-lying nations facing rising sea levels, argue for a more ambitious target of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Financial Constraints:

• Insufficient Funding Beyond 2020 The agreement requires wealthier nations to maintain a funding pledge of $100 billion per year beyond 2020.
• However, this amount is deemed inadequate by several Pacific Island countries.

Non-binding agreement:

• Implications of US Withdrawal The withdrawal of the United States from the 2015 Paris climate agreement has created new obstacles and increased pressure on other nations to meet the agreement’s targets.
• The US cited concerns about detrimental impacts on its economy and job market.

Financial Impact:

• US Withdrawal and the Green Climate Fund As part of the US withdrawal, the promised additional $2 billion to the Green Climate Fund has been discontinued.

No enforcement mechanism:

• Voluntary Efforts and Name-and-Encourage System Under the Paris Agreement, each country is responsible for determining, planning, and reporting its own measures to mitigate global warming.
• Non-compliance with the agreement results in a “name and encourage” system, where countries falling out of compliance are identified and encouraged to improve.
• However, there is no formal enforcement mechanism in place.

Achievements of UNFCCC

• The signing of the Paris Agreement in 2015 addressed the contentious issue of emissions cuts, which was a point of contention under the Kyoto Protocol.
• The UNFCCC has played a significant role in raising public awareness of climate change, resulting in increased awareness compared to the late 1990s.
• Over the past two decades, the scientific understanding of the climate crisis has significantly improved, with the UNFCCC playing a crucial role in this progress.
• The UNFCCC facilitates the planning and implementation of concrete adaptation activities through initiatives such as the National Adaptations Programme of Action (NAPAs) and the Nairobi work programme.
• The UNFCCC has introduced innovative ideas for climate change mitigation, such as the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), which allows developing countries to earn credits by implementing emission reduction projects that can be sold to countries or companies committed to reducing emissions.
• Since its establishment, the UNFCCC has promoted cooperation among national governments in the development and transfer of technology.
• The UNFCCC’s efforts provide support to developing countries in addressing climate change through various means, including financing, technology transfers, discussions, and global partnerships.

Conclusion

The UNFCCC has taken significant steps to enhance scientific comprehension, promote adaptation endeavours, and introduce inventive concepts for mitigating climate change. By providing support to developing nations, the UNFCCC continues to play an important role in addressing the climate crisis.

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FAQs(frequently asked question)