The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change?s (UNFCCC) highest decision making body is the Conference of the Parties (COP). UNFCCC is held annually.
Highlights
In the COP, all parties to the UNFCCC review the implementation of the Convention. They are adopting the new decisions needed to expedite the implementation of the Convention. The main task of the COP is to review the emissions inventory submitted by the various parties.
The COP presidency rotates among the five regions of UN which are Africa, Asia, Western Europe, Latin America and Caribbean and Central and Eastern Europe.
Which countries form COP?
Countries that have ratified the UNFCCC are called COPs. UNFCCC came into force in the year 1994. As of the month of November, 2021, 197 countries have ratified it. UNFCCC is a treaty which is multilateral which regulate actions to combat climate change as well as adaptive efforts are taken to control global warming and greenhouse gas emissions. The goals set by the UNFCCC COP are not legally binding. It sets out a framework for limiting greenhouse gas emissions.
Categories of Conference of the Parties
Annex I, Annex II, Annex B, Least Developed Countries and Non-Annex I are the major categories of COP. Annex I has 43 countries, which are developed countries. Twenty-four of these 43 countries are Annex II countries, which are expected to provide financial as well as technical assistance to developing countries. There are 47 countries in the category of least developed countries. These countries have been given special status within the framework of the UNFCCC. This is mainly due to limited adaptation to the effects of climate change. Annex I countries that have signed the first and second Kyoto Protocol rounds fall into Annex B category. Non-Annex I is a low-income developing country.
About Kyoto Protocol
The Kyoto Protocol was adopted at the 3rd UNFCCC session. This applies to 6 greenhouse gases which are carbon dioxide, methane, perfluorocarbons, nitrous oxide, sulphur hexafluoride and fluorocarbons. The Kyoto Protocol was adopted in the year 1997 in the city of Kyoto, Japan. About 84 countries have signed the Protocol. Countries such as South Sudan, Canada, Andorra and the United States are not parties to the Kyoto Protocol.
About Paris Agreement
This is one of the main conventions of the UNFCCC COP and was signed during COP21 in the year 2005. Under the agreement, the parties agreed to ensure that global temperatures do not rise more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Later 2 degrees Celsius became the set upon limit.
