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UNFCCC and Kyoto Protocol
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
The Convention on Climate Change sets an overall framework for
intergovernmental efforts to tackle the challenge posed by climate change. It
recognizes that the climate system is a shared resource whose stability can be
affected by industrial and other emissions of carbon dioxide and other
greenhouse gases.
Under the Convention governments:
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gather and share information on greenhouse gas emissions, national
policies and best practices
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launch national strategies for addressing greenhouse emissions and adapting to
expected impacts, including the provision of financial and technological
support to developing countries
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coooperate in preparing for adaptation to the
impacts of climate change
Status of Ratification
The text of the Convention was adopted at the United Nations Headquarters, New
York on the 9 May 1992; it was open for signature at the Rio de Janeiro from 4
to 14 June 1992, and thereafter at the United Nations Headquarters, New York,
from 20 June 1992 to 19 June 1993. By that date the Convention had received 166
signatures. The Convention entered into force on 21 March 1994. Those States
that have not signed the Convention may accede to it at any time.
Kyoto Protocol
The negotiation of the Kyoto Protocol and its rulebook
When they adopted the
Convention, governments knew that its commitments would not be sufficient to
seriously tackle climate change. At COP 1 (Berlin, March/April 1995), in a
decision known as the Berlin Mandate, Parties therefore launched a new round of
talks to decide on stronger and more detailed commitments for industrialized
countries. After two and a half years of intense negotiations, the Kyoto
Protocol was adopted at COP 3 in Kyoto, Japan, on 11 December 1997.
The complexity of the negotiations, however, meant that considerable
"unfinished business" remained even after the Kyoto Protocol itself was
adopted. The Protocol sketched out the basic features of its "mechanisms" and
compliance system, for example, but did not explain the all-important rules of
how they would operate. Although 84 countries signed the Protocol, indicating
that they intended to ratify, but many were reluctant to actually do so and
bring the Protocol into force before having a clearer picture of the
treaty's rulebook. A new round of negotiations was therefore launched to flesh out the Kyoto Protocol's
rulebook, conducted in parallel with negotiations on ongoing issues under the
Convention. This round finally culminated at COP 7 with the adoption of the
Marrakesh Accords, setting out detailed rules for the implementation of the
Kyoto Protocol. As discussed above, the Marrakesh Accords made considerable
progress regarding the implementation of the Convention.
The provisions of the Kyoto Protocol and its rulebook
The 1997 Kyoto Protocol shares the
Convention's objective, principles and institutions, but significantly strengthens the Convention by committing Annex I Parties to individual, legally-binding targets to limit or reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. Only Parties to the Convention that have also become Parties to the Protocol (i.e by ratifying, accepting, approving, or acceding to it) will be bound by the Protocol's
commitments. The individual targets for Annex I Parties are listed in the Kyoto
Protocol's Annex B. These add up to a total cut in greenhouse-gas emissions of at least 5% from 1990 levels in the commitment period 2008-2012.
Source: IPCC
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