In 2021, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, announced the hosting of COP28. This initiative aims to drive global efforts towards a low-carbon and climate-resilient transformation, taking more proactive actions to mitigate global warming and promote deep collaboration in global decarbonization endeavors.
What is COP? Exploring the Origins of “The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change”
In order to address climate change, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was opened for signature at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1992. The convention explicitly recognizes that “climate change and its adverse effects are a common concern of humankind.” A total of 197 countries became signatories, leading to the establishment of the annual Conference of Parties (COP) starting in 1995, hosted by different countries each year. These conferences strive to explore strategies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, establishing an imperative for decarbonization, and harnessing the collective strength of nations to tackle global warming and alleviate environmental risks.
According to the UNFCCC, before the year 2000, developed countries along with the former Soviet Union and Eastern European countries were obligated to curtail their greenhouse gas emissions to match the levels recorded in 1990. However, the post-2000 guidelines were not clearly defined in the Convention. Therefore, the primary objective of the first COP was to discuss the emissions baseline after 2000 and establish the fundamental rules necessary for the effective implementation.
Throughout the various COP climate change conferences, several significant treaties have come into existence. Firstly, the Kyoto Protocol, signed in 1997, set direct regulations on greenhouse gas emissions reductions targets specifically for developed nations, marking the origin of integrating carbon reduction into national policy considerations. Then, in 2015, the Paris Agreement was signed. This historic agreement required participating nations to submit their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to curb global warming well below 2 degrees Celsius and endeavor to achieve the ambitious goal of 1.5 degrees Celsius. Today, the Paris Agreement stands as a cornerstone of environmental policy for many nations, shaping their strategies to combat climate change.
However, the global average temperature has already risen by over 1.1 degrees, contradicting the original targets. As a result, countries are still grappling with the delicate balance between “human economic development” and “sustainability of our planet” through ongoing negotiations. Given the relentless nature of global warming, it is foreseeable that COP conferences will persist.
Apart from the upcoming COP28, which is set to take place this year, there have already been 27 sessions of COP. What exactly have world leaders discussed in previous gatherings? Which commitments were mere rhetoric, lacking tangible implementation? Stay tuned for an in-depth coverage of COP by “The Icons” for further insights.
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