UNFCCC

(United Nations Framework

Convention on Climate Change)
 TLO’s
• Explain the impacts of climate change on India
• Discuss the Govt. Policy on the climate change
and sustainability
• Explain the objectives and Principles of the
UNFCCC
• The United Nations Framework Convention
on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is an
international environmental treaty adopted
on 9 May 1992 and opened for signature at
the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro from 3 to
14 June 1992. It then entered into force on 21
March 1994, after a sufficient number of
countries had ratified it.
 Objective of UNFCCC
• The UNFCCC objective is to "stabilize
greenhouse gas concentrations in the
atmosphere at a level that would prevent
dangerous anthropogenic interference with
the climate system“.
 PRINCIPLES
• In their actions to achieve the objective of the
Convention and to implement its provisions, the
Parties shall be guided, inter alia, by the following:
1. The Parties should protect the climate system for the
benefit of present and future generations of
humankind, on the basis of equity and in accordance
with their common but differentiated responsibilities
and respective capabilities. Accordingly, the developed
country Parties should take the lead in combating
climate change and the adverse effects thereof.
2. The specific needs and special circumstances
of developing country Parties, especially those
that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse
effects of climate change, and of those Parties,
especially developing country Parties, that
would have to bear a disproportionate or
abnormal burden under the Convention,
should be given full consideration.
3. The Parties should take precautionary measures to
anticipate, prevent or minimize the causes of climate
change and mitigate its adverse effects. Where there
are threats of serious or irreversible damage, lack of
full scientific certainty should not be used as a reason
for postponing such measures, taking into account that
policies and measures to deal with climate change
should be cost-effective so as to ensure global benefits
at the lowest possible cost. To achieve this, such
policies and measures should take into account
different socio-economic contexts, be comprehensive,
cover all relevant sources, sinks and reservoirs of
greenhouse gases and adaptation, and comprise all
economic sectors. Efforts to address climate change
may be carried out cooperatively by interested Parties.
4. The Parties have a right to, and should,
promote sustainable development. Policies
and measures to protect the climate system
against human-induced change should be
appropriate for the specific conditions of each
Party and should be integrated with national
development programs, taking into account
that economic development is essential for
adopting measures to address climate change.
 India's commitments to combat
climate change impacts
• In recognition of the growing problem of Climate
Change, India declared a voluntary goal of reducing the
emissions intensity of its GDP by 20–25%, over 2005
levels, by 2020, despite having no binding mitigation
obligations as per the Convention. A slew of policy
measures were launched to achieve this goal. As a
result, the emission intensity of our GDP has decreased
by 12% between 2005 and 2010. It is a matter of
satisfaction that United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP)in its Emission Gap Report 2014 has
recognized India as one of the countries on course to
achieving its voluntary goal.
• Wind energy has been the predominant contributor to the
renewable energy growth in India accounting for 23.76 GW
(65.2%) of the renewable installed capacity, making India
the 5th largest wind power producer in the world.
• Solar power in India is poised to grow significantly with
Solar Mission as a major initiative of the Government of
India. Solar power installed capacity has increased from
only 3.7 MW in 2005 to about 4060 MW in 2015, with a
CAGR of more than 100% over the decade. The ambitious
solar expansion programme seeks to enhance the capacity
to 100 GW by 2022, which is expected to be scaled up
further thereafter. A scheme for development of 25 Solar
Parks, Ultra Mega Solar Power Projects, canal top solar
projects and one hundred thousand solar pumps for
farmers is at different stages of implementation.
Government of India is also promoting solarization of all
the 55,000 petrol pumps across the country out of which
about 3,135 petrol pumps have already been solarized.
 ENHANCING ENERGY EFFICIENCYIN
INDUSTRIES
• Perform, Achieve and Trade (PAT),as a market based energy
efficiency trading mechanism, at present covers 478 plants
(designated consumers) in eight energy-intensive industrial
sectors accounting for one-third of total energy
consumption in the country. The mandated decrease in the
specific energy consumption under PAT programme has led
to a decline of 4 to 5% in their specific energy consumption
in 2015 as compared to that in 2012.Energy Saving
Certificates (ESCerts) are issued to consumers who over-
achieve the target. The scheme is to be widened and
deepened to include additional sectors like railways,
electricity distribution and refineries in the next cycle and
would cover more than half the commercial energy
consumed in India.
• Zero Effect, Zero Defect (ZED): The Make in
India campaign with ZED is a policy initiative
to rate Medium & Small Industries on quality
control and certification for energy efficiency,
enhanced resources efficiency, pollution
control, use of renewable energy, waste
management etc. using ZED Maturity
Assessment Model. The scheme launched in
2015, envisages coverage of about 1 million
medium and small enterprises.
5. The Parties should cooperate to promote a
supportive and open international economic
system that would lead to sustainable
economic growth and development in all
Parties, particularly developing country
Parties, thus enabling them better to address
the problems of climate change. Measures
taken to combat climate change, including
unilateral ones, should not constitute a means
of arbitrary or unjustifiable discrimination or a
disguised restriction on international trade.
• The framework sets non binding limits on
greenhouse gas emissions for individual
countries and contains no enforcement
mechanisms. Instead, the framework outlines
how specific international treaties (called
"protocols" or "Agreements") may be
negotiated to specify further action towards
the objective of the UNFCCC.
 History
• Initially, an Intergovernmental Negotiating
Committee (INC) produced the text of the
Framework Convention during its meeting in
New York from 30 April to 9 May 1992. The
UNFCCC was adopted on 9 May 1992, and
opened for signature on 4 June 1992. The
UNFCCC has 197 parties as of December 2015.
The convention enjoys broad legitimacy,
largely due to its nearly universal
membership.
• The parties to the convention have met annually from 1995
in Conferences of the Parties (CoP) to assess progress in
dealing with climate change. In 1997, the Kyoto Protocol
was concluded and established legally binding obligations
for developed countries to reduce their greenhouse gas
emissions in the period 2008–2012.
• The 2010 United Nations Climate Change Conference
produced an agreement stating that future global warming
should be limited to below 2.0 °C (3.6 °F) relative to the
pre-industrial level. The Protocol was amended in 2012 to
encompass the period 2013–2020 in the Doha
Amendment, which as of December 2015 had not entered
into force.
• In 2015 the Paris Agreement was adopted, governing
emission reductions from 2020 onwards. Through
commitments of countries in Nationally Determined
Contributions, lowering the previously agreed target 2.0 °C
(3.6 °F) to 1.5 °C. The Paris Agreement entered into force
on 4 November 2016.
• The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change (UNFCCC) was opened for signature at the
1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and
Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro (known by its
popular title, the Earth Summit).
• On 12 June 1992, 154 nations signed the UNFCCC,
which upon ratification committed signatories'
governments to reduce atmospheric concentrations of
greenhouse gases with the goal of "preventing
dangerous anthropogenic interference with Earth's
climate system". This commitment would require
substantial reductions in greenhouse gas emissions
(see the later section, "Stabilization of greenhouse gas
concentrations")
• Article 3(1) of the Convention states that Parties
should act to protect the climate system on the
basis of "common but differentiated
responsibilities", and that developed country
Parties should "take the lead" in addressing
climate change. Under Article 4, all Parties make
general commitments to address climate change
through, climate change mitigation and adapting
to the eventual impacts of climate change.
• Article 4(7) states:
The developed country Parties and other developed
Parties included in Annex II shall take all practicable
steps to promote, facilitate and finance, as appropriate,
the transfer of, or access to, environmentally sound
technologies and know-how to other Parties,
particularly developing country Parties, to enable them
to implement the provisions of the Convention. In this
process, the developed country Parties shall support
the development and enhancement of endogenous
capacities and technologies of developing country
Parties. Other Parties and organizations in a position to
do so may also assist in facilitating the transfer of such
technologies
Millennium Development Goals

• In September 2000, leaders of 189 countries gathered at the

United Nations headquarters and signed the historic
Millennium Declaration, in which they committed to
achieving a set of eight measurable goals that range from
halving extreme poverty and hunger to promoting gender
equality and reducing child mortality, by the target date of
2015.
• The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
• Goal 1 -Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
• Goal 2-Achieve universal primary education
• Goal 3-Promote gender equality and empower women
• Goal 4-Reduce child mortality
• Goal 5-Improve maternal health
• Goal 6 -Combating HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases
• Goal 7-Ensure environmental sustainability
• Goal 8-Develop a global partnership for development
• The MDGs were revolutionary in providing a common
language to reach global agreement. The 8 goals were
realistic and easy to communicate, with a clear
measurement/monitoring mechanism.
• Substantial progress has been made regarding the MDGs.
The world has already realized the first MDG of halving(
Reducing) the extreme poverty rate by 2015. However, the
achievements have been uneven. The MDGs are set to
expire in 2015 and the discussion of a post-2015 agenda
continues. The focus is now on building a sustainable world
where environmental sustainability, social inclusion, and
economic development are equally valued.
• The MDG Fund contributed directly and indirectly to the
achievement of the MDGs. It adopted an inclusive and
comprehensive approach to the MDGs. The approach was
guided by the Millennium Declaration and its emphasis on
development as a right, with targeted attention directed
towards traditionally marginalized groups such as ethnic
minorities, indigenous groups, and women.
• The Rio+20 conference (the United Nations Conference on
Sustainable Development) in Rio de Janeiro, June 2012, galvanized
a process to develop a new set of Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs) which will carry on the momentum generated by the MDGs
and fit into a global development framework beyond 2015.
• In the interest of creating a new, people-centered, development
agenda, a global consultation was conducted online and offline.
Civil society organizations, citizens, scientists, academics, and the
private sector from around the world were all actively engaged in
the process. Activities included thematic and national
consultations, and the My World survey led by the United Nations
Development Group. Specialized panels were also held and
provided ground to facilitate intergovernmental discussions. The
UN Secretary General presented a synthesis of the results of these
consultation processes.
• In July 2014, the UN General Assembly Open Working Group
(OWG) proposed a document containing 17 goals to be put
forward for the General Assembly’s approval in September 2015.
This document set the ground for the new SDGs and the global
development agenda spanning from 2015-2030.
 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as proposed by the OWG

Goal 1 End poverty in all its forms everywhere

Goal 2 End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture

Goal 3 Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
Goal 4 Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote life-long learning opportunities
for all
Goal 5 Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
Goal 6 Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
Goal 7 Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all
Goal 8 Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive
employment, and decent work for all
Goal 9 Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization, and foster
innovation
Goal 10 Reduce inequality within and among countries
Goal 11 Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
Goal 12 Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
Goal 13 Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
Goal 14 Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas, and marine resources for sustainable
development
Goal 15 Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage
forests, combat desertification, halt and reverse land degradation, and halt biodiversity loss
Goal 16 Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice
for all, and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
Goal 17 Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable
development
 Initial Differences
• The UN Conference on Environment and
Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro, is
remarkable in bring 195 countries to agree on
setting up a path breaking agreement. By contrast
the Law of the sea negotiations covered a full
decade.
• The achievement is all the more remarkable since
the initial positions of the parties were far apart.
• The initial discussions reflected a deep divide
between the North and South nations of the
globe.
• In general, developing countries pressed for an
agreement based on equity, reflecting the fact
that anthropogenic climate change was the result
of the cumulative emissions of the Green House
Gases (GHG’s) originating mainly from the
developed countries.
• The developed countries on the other hand,
sought to minimize the link between
commitments under the agreement and
responsibility for causing climate change.
• The United States refused to recognize the link
altogether, maintaining that countries should
contribute to an International efforts “ in
accordance with the means at their disposal
and their capabilities” ( United Nations of
America, 1991), ignoring the question of
responsibility for causing issues for climate
change.
• Indian’s position was based on the principle
that every human being had an equal right to
global atmospheric resources. As a head of
Indian delegation Dr. Chadrashekhar
Dasgupta, stated our position as follows at the
outset of substantive negotiations:
• The Problem of global warning is caused not
by emissions of Green-Houses Gases as such,
but it is due to excessive levels of per-capita
emissions of these gases.
• Per Capita GHG emissions – Metric tons of
CO2 by Per person
• If the per capita emissions of all countries had
been on the same levels as those of the
developing countries, the world would not
today have faced the threat of global
warming.
• As per capita GHG gases of developed nations
are high, they should be held responsible for
global worming.
• China, for example, is the world "leader" in total
emissions (6018m metric tonnes of carbon
dioxide) since it overtook the US (5903) in 2007.
But all that really tells you is that China is a fast-
developing country with a lot of people.
• A more useful measurement is carbon emissions
per capita (person). Under that measurement,
the average American is responsible for 19.8
tonnes per person, and the average Chinese
citizen clocks in at 4.6 tonnes.
• Examining CO2 per capita around the world also shows
us the gulf between the developed world's
responsibility for climate change and that of the
developing world. While Australia is on 20.6 tonnes per
person (partly because of its reliance on CO2-intensive
coal) and the UK is half that at 9.7 (explained in part by
relatively CO2-light gas power stations), India is on a
mere 1.2. Poorer African nations such as Kenya are on
an order magnitude less again – the average Kenyan
has a footprint of just 0.3 tonnes (a figure that's likely
to drop even lower with the country's surge in wind
power).
 The Draft convention Proposed That
• Developed countries immediate Measures
Declare, Adopt and Implement national strategies to
stabilize and reduce their per capita emissions of Green
House Gases, particularly the Carbon dioxide; stabilization
.. Should be achieved by developed countries at least by
2000, and should be set at 1990 emissions levels with the
goal of achieving at least 20%, 30%, 40% and 50%
reduction on these stabilized levels by 2005; 2nd – Provide
new and additional financial resources for developing
countries for the objectives described in document, 3rd –
provide assured access to appropriate technology on
preferential and not commercial terms to developing
countries. 4th – to support developing countries in their
efforts to create and develop their endogenous
capabilities in Science and Technology Research and
development , directed at combating climate change.
 Conclusion:
• The Globe is at across –road in the
negotiations, one road leads to enhanced
implementation by all the countries –
developed and developing alike –of their
respective obligations under the agreed
climate change regime. The other road leads
to the effective dismantling of this regime,
reopening of every basic issue and returning
the negotiations to the starting point in 1991.
 What is the CoP?

The COP is the supreme decision-making body

of the Convention. All States that are Parties
to the Convention are represented at the CoP,
at which they review the implementation of
the Convention and any other legal
instruments that the CoP adopts and take
decisions necessary to promote the effective
implementation of the Convention, including
institutional and administrative arrangements.
 More Background on the CoP
A key task for the CoP is to review the national
communications and emission inventories submitted
by Parties. Based on this information, the CoP
assesses the effects of the measures taken by Parties
and the progress made in achieving the ultimate
objective of the Convention.
• The CoP meets every year, unless the Parties decide
otherwise. The first CoP meeting was held in Berlin,
Germany in March, 1995. The CoP meets in Bonn,
the seat of the secretariat, unless a Party offers to
host the session. Just as the CoP Presidency rotates
among the five recognized UN regions - that is,
Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, Central
and Eastern Europe and Western Europe and Others
– there is a tendency for the venue of the CoP to also
shift among these groups.
Location Session Conference
Katowice, Katowice Climate Change
COP 24
Poland Conference – December 2018
Bonn, UN Climate Change Conference -
COP 23
Germany November 2017
Marrakech, Marrakech Climate Change
COP 22
Morocco Conference - November 2016
Paris, Paris Climate Change Conference -
COP 21
France November 2015
Lima, Lima Climate Change Conference -
COP 20
Peru December 2014
Warsaw, Warsaw Climate Change
COP 19
Poland Conference - November 2013
Doha, Doha Climate Change Conference
COP 18
Qatar - November 2012
Durban, Durban Climate Change
COP 17
South Africa Conference - November 2011
Cancun, Cancún Climate Change
COP 16
Mexico Conference - November 2010

Copenhagen, Copenhagen Climate Change

COP 15
Denmark Conference - December 2009
Location Session Conference
Poznan, Poznan Climate Change
COP 14
Poland Conference - December 2008
Bali, Bali Climate Change
COP 13
Indonesia Conference - December 2007
Nairobi, Nairobi Climate Change
COP 12
Kenya Conference - November 2006
Montreal, Montreal Climate Change
COP 11
Canada Conference - December 2005
Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires Climate Change
COP 10
Argentina Conference - December 2004
Milan, Milan Climate Change
COP 9
Italy Conference - December 2003
New Delhi, New Delhi Climate Change
COP 8
India Conference - October 2002
Marrakech, Marrakech Climate Change
COP 7
Morocco Conference - October 2001
Bonn, Bonn Climate Change
COP 6-2
Germany Conference - July 2001
The Hague, The Hague Climate Change
COP 6
Netherlands Conference - November 2000
 Location Session Conference

Bonn Climate Change

Bonn,
COP 5 Conference - October
Germany
1999

Buenos Aires Climate

Buenos Aires,
COP 4 Change Conference -
Argentina
November 1998

Kyoto Climate Change

Kyoto,
COP 3 Conference -
Japan
December 1997
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International Climate Negotiations and
India’s Role
• Contrary to the common perception of developing
countries being more ‘Rule-Takers’ rather than ‘rule
makers’ in international system vis-à-vis the developed
world (Hurrell and Woods,1999)
• India has been a major International force since the
earliest days of the negotiations.
• It has played a vital role in constructing the
international regime, norms, rules and institutions
governing this issues, working to ensure that these are
in line-with its self-perceived national interests.
 The Climate story so far
• It was scientists who first brought the problem of
climate change to the attention of the world.
• The 1st climate conference highlighted the long
term danger that excessive accumulation of the
Green House Gases in the earth’s atmospheres-
caused by the human activities such as
industrialization, burning of the fossil fuels and
deforestation- posed to the climate system and
human wellbeing(Peterson,1996)
• Though the issue of climate change came to human
knowledge in 1979, but it caught the attention of
International political agenda in 1988, when the UN
General Assembly passed a resolution recognizing climate
change to be a ‘common concern of mankind’, and urged
governments to treat it as a ‘priority issues’
• The resolution also endorsed the setting up of the IPCC to
study its scientific basis in greater detail.
• But India try to intervened and Asked UN to proper
representation to all the nations and it forced for the
formation of ‘Framework’ through international
collaborations.
• Post IPCC ‘s 1st report- which justified the earlier theory
that GHG emissions were on the rise, human interventions
are the primary reasons for the rise. And to stabilize the
concentrations in atmosphere would require the
immediate reductions.
• UNGA took the note of the IPCC’s report and directed
members to form a negotiating body called as
Intergovernmental negotiating committee (INC).
• The UNFCCC laid out the basic international political,
legal and normative architecture to address the climate
change.
• The core principle agreed under it noted that countries
should protect the climate system on the basis of
equity and in accordance with their ‘common but
differentiated responsibilities and respective
capabilities.
• Noting that the largest share of the historical and
current global emissions originated in the developed
countries, it asked them to ‘take the lead’ in addressing
this challenge.
• The convention exempt developing countries from any
similar specific GHG mitigation commitments noting
that their per capita emissions were still relatively low.
• Post UNFCCC in March 1994, its first
Conference of Parties (CoP1) was held in
Berlin 1995, reviewed the adequacy of the
above commitment made by the developing
nations. Although nearly every major nations
agreed that stronger commitments were need
beyond 2000 to effectively address the climate
change, there were strong differences over
how should be done?
• India along with a group of developing nations formed
an alliance called as Alliance of Small Islands States
(AOSIS) demanded the Developed industrialized
nations to take stringent emission reduction targets by
adopting a legally binding ‘protocol’ ( as per the
Montreal Protocol to Vienna Convention) done to
combat ozone layer depletion.
• But this proposition was resisted by group of the
developed nations , particularly the USA( Oberthur and
Ott,1999) However with the European Union (EU) also
favoring the development of the protocol a decision
called a ‘Berlin Mandate’ was finally adopted at the
end of CoP 1, which called for formal negotiations to
begin to develop a legally binding targets and time-line
to reduce the industrial pollution.
• Under the Kyoto Protocol, developed countries
agreed to take on individual, quantified legally-
binding emission reduction targets to reduce
their collective emissions by 5% below 1990
levels over the commitment period of 2008-12.
• From CoP4 to CoP7 focused on flexible
mechanisms of emission trading, joint
implementation and Clean Development
Mechanism.
• These were mechanisms that US in particular
had insisted upon in exchange for the
acceptance of the Kyoto Protocol.
• The Kyoto Protocol were formally adopted at
CoP7 of UNFCCC in 2001 in the form of
“Marrakesh Accords”.
• US ratification to Kyoto Protocol in 2001
• Kyoto protocol entered into force in 2005 at
CoP-11 ( Montreal)