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Copenhagen 2009 – The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
What are the UNFCC and the Kyoto Protocol?
Image source: Wikimedia Commons
Unofficially known as ‘Earth Summit,’ the UNFCC first gathered in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in June of 1992 with the basic goal of establishing limits on greenhouse gas production. The treaty was non-binding and without legal power. It is therefore commonly referred to as a ‘protocol’. The next significant and most well known meeting of the UNFCC was in Kyoto, Japan in 1997, marking a commitment from developed countries to cut their greenhouse gas emissions. The United States famously did not ratify the protocol, citing the belief that the treaty should include similar participation from developing nations.
The latest convention, to be held in Copenhagen, Denmark on December 7-18, 2009 has a theme of urgency, as if to say “if we don’t do something now, it will soon be too late.” The convention is also known as the Conference of Parties or COP. Since Copenhagen is the 15th conference, it is being referred to as COP15. The COP15 stresses that developed nations must commit and cut greenhouse gas emissions by the year 2020. Many will be looking to the United States to take a leading role in the fight against climate change and to make a greater commitment to cut its own emissions.
Prime Minister of Denmark Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Kofi Annani and Yvo de Boer, Executive Secretary of the UNFCC (Image source: Wikimedia Commons)
Both the UNFCC and the COP15 have websites with detailed information including data and articles on climate change and environmental issues, plus background and news concerning the upcoming summit. Visit these sites to become more informed about Kyoto, Copenhagen, climate change and what the world’s governments and the UN are doing and saying – or not doing and saying – about important environmental concerns.
By Graham Land
Additional resources:
CNN article explaining the basics of the Copenhagen Climate Summit
Carbon offsetting wiki
The Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal
The Kyoto Protocol
Tags: climate change, cop15, copenhagen, greenhouse gas, kyoto, protocol, UNFCC
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