United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
United Nations Framework for Climate Change Convention (UNFCCC) was one of three conventions negotiated at the 1992 “Rio Earth Summit” and came into force on 21 March 1994. The two other conventions include:
Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
Convention to Combat Desertification (CCD)
The last full meeting of the UNFCCC was the 15th Conference of the Parties (COP-15) meeting in Copenhagen, Denmark. This meeting negotiated the Copenhagen Accord.
Australian Government (Kevin Rudd and Penny Wong) on the UNFCCC negotiations in Copenhagen
The Kyoto Protocol
The Kyoto Protocol is a protocol to the UNFCCC. The first phase of the Kyoto Protocol ends in 2012. Please click to find more information on the Kyoto Protocol.
The Indigenous Peoples Forum on Climate Change (IPFCC)
The Indigenous Peoples Forum on Climate Change (IPFCC) developed in response to negotiations over climate change. It has negotiated and defined international indigenous perspectives on climage change through the Barcelona Statement and Anchorage Declarations.
What are the objectives of the UNFCCC?
The objective of the UNFCCC is to reduce greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere to a level that would prevent further dangerous human interference with the climate system.
This should be achieved in a time-frame that allows ecosystems to adapt naturally to climate change, and to ensure that food production is not threatened and enable economic development to proceed in a sustainable manner.
The UNFCCC provides parties to the convention into three distinct groups each with different commitments:
Annex I Parties: are industrialised countries and economies in transition who are required to adopt policies and measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 1992 levels by 2000.
Annex II Parties: are industrialised countries within the Annex I group with special responsibilities to provide financial resources to developing countries to help them adapt to climate change and undertake emissions reducation activities.
Non-Annex I Parties: are developing countries. Within this group is a smaller group of 48 least developed countries (LDCs) recognised as being especially vulnerable to climate change. Non-Annex I parties have limited obligations under the UNFCCC.
Australia is classified as both an Annex I and Annex II party to the UNFCCC.
Australia's obligations under the UNFCCC include:
- to reduce greenhouse gas emissions; and
- provide financial resources to developing countries to help them reduce their emissions and to adapt to climate change.
The 15th Conference of the Parties (COP-15) to the UNFCCC met in Copenhagen, Denmark from the 7-19 December, 2009.
The meeting was held to discuss a new climate agreement to form the basis for a treaty to replace the Kyoto Protocol whose first phase ends in 2012.
Discussions covered:
- whether to replace Kyoto or develop a new treaty alongside it,
- terms of the new treaty,
- long term goals,
- targets for mid-term rich nation emissions cuts,
- finance,
- a deadline for the new deal,
- climate action by developing nations,
- excluded sectors and loopholes,
- the role of carbon markets and forestry including safeguards to protect indigenous
people's rights and prevent rewards for conversion of virgin forests.
The conference achieved a non-binding agreement (known as the Copenhagen Accord) which was acknowledged by the COP-15. The Copenhagen Accord was negotiated by 25 parties including Australia.
Negotiations for a binding treaty have been deferred until COP-16 which will be held in Cancún, Mexico, from 29 November to 10 December 2010.
In the lead-up to COP-16, states will meet to prepare the outcome document for Cancún. The Bonn UN Climate Change Conference, concluded on 6 August 2010.
The Indigenous Peoples Forum on Climate Change released a statement in response to this meeting. Please click for a copy of the IIPFCC August 2010 statement-Bonn, Germany
