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Conference of The Parties of The UNFCCC

The Conference of the Parties (COP) is the supreme decision-making body of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The COP meets annually to assess progress on the Convention's objective of stabilizing greenhouse gas concentrations. Key agenda items at COP15 in Copenhagen included reviewing emissions trading under the Kyoto Protocol, addressing the effects of the global financial crisis on climate action, and renewing measures to stabilize rising atmospheric greenhouse gas levels. However, delays in climate action due to the economic downturn risk costing the world dearly through impacts of global warming.

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55 views3 pages

Conference of The Parties of The UNFCCC

The Conference of the Parties (COP) is the supreme decision-making body of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The COP meets annually to assess progress on the Convention's objective of stabilizing greenhouse gas concentrations. Key agenda items at COP15 in Copenhagen included reviewing emissions trading under the Kyoto Protocol, addressing the effects of the global financial crisis on climate action, and renewing measures to stabilize rising atmospheric greenhouse gas levels. However, delays in climate action due to the economic downturn risk costing the world dearly through impacts of global warming.

Uploaded by

Hayley Meek
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC (COP)

The Convention
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) sets an
overall framework for intergovernmental efforts to tackle the challenge posed by
climate change. It recognizes that the climate system is a shared resource whose
stability can be affected by industrial and other emissions of carbon dioxide and
other greenhouse gases. The Convention enjoys near universal membership, with
192 countries having ratified.
Under the Convention, governments: 
- gather and share information on greenhouse gas emissions, national policies and
best practices 
- launch national strategies for addressing greenhouse gas emissions and adapting
to expected impacts, including the provision of financial and technological support
to developing countries
- cooperate in preparing for adaptation to the impacts of climate change 
The Convention entered into force on 21 March 1994. 
More recently, a number of nations approved an addition to the treaty: the Kyoto
Protocol, which has more powerful (and legally binding) measures. 
Source: http://unfccc.int/essential_background/convention/items/2627.php

COP 15 –The crucial climate change conference


At the time of the adoption of the Bali Action Plan, the Danish, Polish and
Indonesian governments agreed to strive to ensure that the COP15 conference in
Copenhagen in 2009 would be absolutely crucial for the work of the next many
years towards a better climate. The background to this decision was partly the
increased focus on quick action in the latest report from the IPCC. It was also
partly an acknowledgement of the fact that 2009 represents more or less the last
chance to achieve an agreement, if this agreement is to be approved and ratified
in time for it to come into force after the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012.
The UNFCCC’s history shows that countries can quickly move forward together, but
also that they risk coming to a stand still because of internal disagreement. The
ambition of the Danish government is that the COP15 conference in Copenhagen
will result in an ambitious global agreement incorporating all the countries of the
world. 
Source: http://en.cop15.dk/climate+facts/process/cop15+
%E2%80%93+the+crucial+conference

The COP - Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC (COP)


The Conference of the Parties (COP)is the „supreme body“ of the Convention, that
is, its highest decision-making authority. It is an association of all the countries
that are Parties to the Convention. The COP is responsible for keeping
international efforts to address climate change on track. It reviews the
implementation of the Convention and examines the commitments of Parties in
light of the Convention’s objective, new scientific findings and experience gained
in implementing climate change policies. 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. (…) Just as the COP
Presidency rotates among the five recognized UN regions (…) there is a tendency
for the venue of the COP to also shift among these groups.

Agenda Item 1: Reviewing the emissions trading procedure, as set out in


Article 17 of the Kyoto Protocol

Article 17: 
"The Conference of the Parties shall define the relevant principles, modalities,
rules and guidelines, in particular for verification, reporting and accountability for
emissions trading. The Parties included in Annex B may participate in emissions
trading for the purposes of fulfilling the commitments under Article 3. Any such
trading shall be supplemental to domestic actions for the purpose of meeting
quantified emission limitation and reduction commitments under that article." 
Parties with debts under the Kyoto Protocol have accepted targets for limiting or
reducing emissions. These targets are expressed as levels of allowed emissions for
the 2008-2012 commitment period. The emissions are divided into “assigned
amount units” (AAUs).
Emissions trading, as set out in Article 17 of the Kyoto Protocol, allows countries
that have emission units to spare - i.e. emissions permitted but not needed - to
sell this excess capacity to countries that are over their targets.
Thus, a new commodity was created in the form of emission reductions or
removals. More than actual emission units can be traded and sold under the Kyoto
Protocol’s emissions trading scheme. 
Emissions trading schemes may be established as climate policy instruments at the
national level and the regional level. Under such schemes, governments set
emissions obligations to be reached by the participating entities. 
These basic principles of a trading regime are established by the Kyoto Protocol,
but there are still some unresolved problems. The European Union emissions
trading scheme is the largest in operation.

Agenda Item 2: The effects of the current global financial crisis on the
environment

The global financial crisis really started to show its effects in the middle of 2007
and leading into 2008. Around the world, stock markets have fallen, large financial
institutions have collapsed or been bought out, and governments in even the
wealthiest nations have had to come up with rescue packages to bail out their
financial systems.
Over the past 20 years, the world’s economy has experienced a golden age of
sustained growth. Despite this, major efforts to confront global environmental
issues such as climate change have been largely deferred. The impending recession
is already being used as justification for more delays in taking real action against
global warming. 
We are now facing the need of taking action on climate change and global
environmental stabilization because a delay could end up costing us all very
dearly. But there are already a lot of developing countries which are arguing that
the current financial crisis and impending global economic crisis is restricting their
ability, since they even cannot meet their financial obligations to the United
Nations. 
There is an urgent need of actions against the financial crisis and for the
environment, but there have to be longer-term solutions in order to change the
situation.

Agenda Item 3: Renewing measures towards stabilization of greenhouse


gas concentrations in the atmosphere

Definition “greenhouse effect”: 


Steady increase in the Earth's average lower atmosphere (near surface)
temperature due to heat retention caused by the accumulation of greenhouse
gases. These gases form a blanket around the earth that lets the incoming sun rays
(short wave radiation) to pass through but blocks the reflected heat rays (long
wave radiation) from going out into the space. Heat-retention is a natural
phenomenon replicated in greenhouses where the glass roof traps radiant heat
within an enclosed space. This build-up of heat has drastically increased since
industrial revolution in mid 19th century by fossil fuel burning. And  it was further
accelerated by CFC-emissions in the 20th century, leading to global warming (the
year 1998, for example, was the warmest year in the recorded history). 
The Stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere is a very
serious problem to solve because decreasing the amount of greenhouse gases could
mean that factories and industries need to be cut down and heavily regulated,
which will result in: people losing their jobs, the economy breaking down, inflation
and social displacement.
The path to emissions reduction can and should be unique to each country's needs,
capabilities and desires. More important is that each country commits itself to
accepting some of the responsibility we have towards the next generation and that
each country has the capability to commit to significant reductions in emissions.
There are already examples all over the world, for example with solar and wind
energy in Germany and in Poland. Sustainable agriculture must be a priority,
especially in Africa. Lastly, we must reaffirm the need for each individual to do
small things.
Many countries have already faced some of the climate threats – natural disasters,
desertification, pollution, and so on. Others, mostly developed ones, are soon to
experience such problems – so in reality, climate change as a result of increased
greenhouse gases is not only a phenomenon that harms us as an international
community, but rather it is one that will also jeopardize the development of future
generations.

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