Climate change has become an increasingly pressing issue in recent years, and countries around the world have been working together to address it through a series of major climate agreements. These agreements aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, limit global warming, and mitigate the impacts of climate change on vulnerable populations.
The following are some of the major climate agreements that have been established:
1. United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
The UNFCCC was established in 1992 with the goal of stabilizing atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases and preventing dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system. The Convention provides a framework for international cooperation on climate change, including mechanisms for monitoring and reporting on emissions and efforts to reduce them.
2. Kyoto Protocol
The Kyoto Protocol is an international agreement that was adopted in 1997 and came into force in 2005. Its goal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by setting binding targets for developed countries (also known as Annex I countries) to reduce their emissions by an average of 5% below 1990 levels by 2012. The Protocol also established a market-based mechanism called the Clean Development Mechanism, which allows developed countries to offset their emissions by investing in emissions reduction projects in developing countries.
3. Paris Agreement
The Paris Agreement is the latest major climate agreement, adopted in 2015 and entered into force in 2016. Its goal is to limit global warming to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels, and pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C. The Agreement requires each country to submit a nationally determined contribution (NDC) outlining their efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and to review and update their NDCs every five years.
4. Montreal Protocol
While not strictly a climate agreement, the Montreal Protocol is a major international environmental agreement that aims to phase out the production and use of ozone-depleting substances, including chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs). These substances also happen to be potent greenhouse gases, so the phase-out has helped to mitigate climate change as well. The Protocol has been highly successful, with almost all countries in the world having ratified it.
These major climate agreements are critical in the fight against climate change, as they provide a framework for international cooperation and set goals and targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. However, their success ultimately depends on the actions taken at the national and local levels to implement them. As individuals, we can also do our part by reducing our own carbon footprint and advocating for action on climate change.