United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)

• It is a multilateral environmental agreement to control greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere.
• The secretariat is located in Bonn, Germany.
• It was adopted on 9th May 1992.
• The fi rst conference was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
• Parties: 197 countries
• It is not legally binding.
• Classifi cation of Parties: 
  • Annex I: 
    • There are 43 including the European Union.
    • These Parties are classifi ed as industrialized (developed) countries and “economies in transition” (EITs).
    • The 14 EITs are the former centrallyplanned (Soviet) economies of Russia and Eastern Europe.
  • Annex II:
    • There are 24 Parties including the European Union.
    • These Parties are made up of members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
    • Annex II Parties are required to provide fi nancial and technical support to the EITs and developing countries to assist them in reducing their greenhouse gas emissions (climate change mitigation) and manage the impacts of climate change (climate change adaptation).
• Annex B:
  • Parties listed in Annex B of the Kyoto Protocol are Annex I Parties with fi rstor second-round Kyoto greenhouse gas emissions targets.
  • The fi rst-round targets apply over the years 2008–2012. As part of the 2012 Doha climate change talks, an amendment to Annex B was agreed upon containing a list of Annex I Parties who have secondround Kyoto targets, which apply from 2013–2020. The amendments have not entered into force. 
• Least-developed countries (LDCs):
  • 49 Parties are LDCs and are given special status under the treaty given their limited capacity to adapt to the effects of climate change. 
• Non-Annex I:
  • Parties to the UNFCCC not listed in Annex I of the Convention are mostly low-income developing countries.
  • Developing countries may volunteer to become Annex I countries when they are suffi ciently developed.
• REDD+ 
  • REDD+ is a mechanism developed by Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). 
  • It creates a financial value for the carbon stored in forests by offering incentives for developing cocountries to reduce emissions from forested lands and invest in sustainable development.

In News:

• COP25 to the UNFCCC was held in Madrid (Spain).
• “Chile-Madrid Time for Action” declaration:
  • To improve their current pledges to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
  • To help poor countries that are suffering the effects of climate change, although any new funds were not allocated for the purpose.
  • It called on the “urgent need” to cut planet-heating greenhouse gases in line with the goals of the 2015 Paris climate change accord.
• The Paris Accord established the common goal of avoiding a temperature increase of more than 1.5 degrees Celsius by the end of the century.