wk11: International climate change politics

UNFCC: UN framework convention on climate change

• international environmental treat negotiated at UN conversion in rio at 1992

• objective: to stabilize GHG concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with climate system

• framework for negotiating specific treaties (called protocols) that may set binding limits

• annual conferences of the parties (COP) to assess progress in dealing with climate change and potentially set binding limits on emission

COP

• 97 kyoto protocol, outline how to implement, limits for each county and penalties

• 37 industrialized countries and the EU collectively agreed to reduce annual GHG emissions on average by 5.2% to a base year

• 191 states signed and ratified the protocol

  • South Sudan didn’t sign

  • US signed but never ratified

  • Canada withdrew in 2011

• montreal 2005: monreal action plan

  • extend plan past 2012

• copehagen 2009: changed temperature levels 2 degree celsius target

• durban 2011: included developing nations on emissions deal, by 2015 included everyone

UNFCC- cop 21 in Paris

• all countries included

• aim to achieve legally binding universal agreement global warming up 2 degrees

management strategies for climate change

• mitigation

  • reducing intensity of global warming

    • reducing GHG

    • increasing sinks for GHG

• adaptation

  • reducing vulnerability to global warming

    • developing mechanisms to protect

intergovernmental panel on climate change

• review and assess the most recent scientific technical and socio-economic info produced worldwide relevant to the understanding of climate change

• provide rigorous and balanced scientific info to decision makers