Inter-Governmental Action on Climate Change / Global Warming

• International Climate Conferences

• The Kyoto Protocol

• UN TV and the UNFCCC Climate Change Studio
  

• UNDP
  

• Links
  

• Methods and Science
  

• Acronyms

   

INTERNATIONAL CLIMATE CONFERENCES

For coverage of the Durban Climate Conference COP17 in December 2011, click HERE and HERE.

The most significant recent intergovernmental climate event before Durban was the Copenhagen Climate Conference COP15 held in Denmark in December 2009 (see HERE). This was followed by the the Cancun Climate Conference COP16 held in Mexico in December 2010 (also see HERE).  

Intermediate talks are held between the major climate conferences. For example, HERE is a video report on the Bonn talks (June, 2011), and HERE is information about talks in Bangkok (April 2011), in preparation for Durban, and HERE is information about intermediate talks in preparation for Cancun, in Germany (2010).

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The Kyoto Protocol

The Kyoto Protocol (KP) is a protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC or FCCC), aimed at fighting global warming and climate change impacts.

HERE is the UNFCCC site on the KP. 

The KP recognizes "Annex 1" countries, developed countries, which are responsible for most of the cumulative greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, as having special responsibility for carbon greenhouse gas emission reductions. Here is a graph of carbon emissions up to the year 2000 by region:

The KP started the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), emissions trading ("cap-and-trade") aimed at a start of mitigating global warming and climate change. The KP was never supposed to be the final mitigation solution, but rather a first step. The KP also provided for an "Adaptation Fund" for non Annex I countries, to be funded mostly by the CDM.

Countries other than Annex 1 have no emission reduction responsibility under the KP. However China and India among other non-Annex 1 countries have rapidly increased emissions since 2000, and China is currently the #1 emitter on a country basis (though not on a per-capita basis). For this reason, the U.S. never ratified the KP. 

The Durban Platform adopted at the Durban Climate Conference (2011) extended the KP past 2012. In addition, the distinction between Annex 1 and other countries in terms of emissions reduction responsibilities is to be abolished in a future climate treaty to be negotiated, but which is expected to be implemented only after 2020.

Right-wing media regularly attack the KP as being expensive and ineffective. This is part of the climate denier/contrarian/faux-skeptic agenda that no mitigation of climate change is worthwhile, based on flawed analyses that minimize climate risks and maximize mitigation expense. For an analysis of contrarian positions, see HERE.

The UNFCCC, to which the KP is a protocol, is an international environmental treaty with the goal of achieving the "stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system." The US is a signatory to the UNFCCC.

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UN TV and the UNFCCC Climate Change Studio

• To watch UN activities as TV on the web, click HERE.

• HERE is the UNFCCC Climate Change Studio with video from Durban 2011.

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UNDP

From the UNDP (United Nations Development Programme),

• HERE is a calendar of climate change events.

• HERE is a short history of climate change negotiations.

• HERE is a more detailed account of negotiations.

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LINKS TO UN ORGANIZATIONS, BALI, RIO, CSD, NGOS

HERE are links to UN organizations involved with climate change, the 2007 Bali Road Map, the 1992 Rio Declaration, the Commission on Sustainable Development, and NGO activities on climate change, including the CoNGO Committee on Sustainable Development (NY).

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Methods & Science

The Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) regularly undertakes work on methodological and scientific matters as they relate to the Convention and the Kyoto Protocol process.  Some of the issues the SBSTA is currently dealing with are scientific, technical and socio-economic aspects of mitigation of climate change; land use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF); bunker fuels; and research and systematic observation.

Scientific, Technical and Socio-Economic Aspects of Mitigation of Climate Change The ultimate objective of the Convention is the stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system. Accordingly, under Article 4.1(b) of the Convention, all Parties are required to undertake efforts to mitigate climate change. Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries (REDD) This web portal aims to facilitate access by developing countries to information made available by Parties, relevant organizations and stakeholders in a number of areas related to reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries. Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) The UNFCCC defines “sink” as “any process, activity or mechanism which removes a greenhouse gas, an aerosol or a precursor of a greenhouse gas from the atmosphere”. The development of policy on “sinks” has evolved to cover emissions and removals of greenhouse gases resulting from direct human-induced land use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF) activities and thus, the acronym LULUCF is now used to refer to this sector. Emissions Resulting from Fuel Used for International Transportation: Aviation and Marine "Bunker Fuels" In accordance with the IPCC Guidelines for the preparation of greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories and the UNFCCC reporting guidelines on annual inventories, emissions from international aviation and maritime transportation (also known as international bunker fuel emissions) should be calculated as part of the national GHG inventories of Parties, but should be excluded from national totals and reported separately. These emissions are not subject to the limitation and reduction commitments of Annex I Parties under the Convention and the Kyoto Protocol. Research and Systematic Observation The Convention calls on Parties to promote and cooperate in research and systematic observation of the climate system, including through support to existing international programmes and networks (see Articles 4.1(g) and 5). In doing so, the Convention commits Parties to cooperate to improve the capacities of developing countries to participate in research and systematic observation. “Research and Systematic Observation” has regularly been an agenda item of the SBSTA since its seventeenth session. Other Methodological Issues This section includes information about interactions with the ozone layer; the Brazilian proposal; single projects; review of methodological work; Third Assessment Report of the IPCC; and links to sources of data on greenhouse gas emissions and to socio-economic data and tools.

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ACRONYMS

Here is a list of acronyms helpful in deciphering climate documents:

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