Diagrama Funcional

In December 1990, the General Assembly of the United Nations passed a resolution allowing the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee for a Framework Convention on Climate Change (INC/FCC) to be set up. This committee had the task to draw up an effective framework convention on climate change. Between 1990 and 1992, the INC held five sessions. Participants from over 150 countries discussed the possibilities of binding commitments, the financial mechanism that would be needed to combat climate change and the differentiated but common efforts of developed and developing countries. Part of the challenge of the INC meetings was to draft a framework that would have popular consensus

46 _{Mintzer, Leonard, Chadwick, 1995, Negotiating Climate Change: The Inside Story of the Rio Convention,}

from the majority rather than focus on details that would deter support for the framework.47

Climate change and measures to mitigate it are more deeply political issues than simply environmental ones. While most countries acknowledge the reality of climate change few are willing to bite the bullet and take actions that would sometimes be at the cost of national or popular interests. During the discussions there were disagreements between developed and developing countries. Developing countries were reluctant to agree to commitments that would hamper their economic growth. For these economies, reducing emissions would mean compromising on agricultural and industrial output that could possibly stagnate their economic growth. Many saw the climate change problem as a problem created by developed countries starting with the era of industrialisation from the 19h _{century as witnessed in those}

economies with the rise of manufacturing and factories. Climate change is the legacy of the Northern countries economic progress during the past century. The burden therefore in reducing its impact should fall on them, rather on poor Southern countries who are only now charting their industrial growth. Developed economies, it was discussed, would also have to commit to funding measures to mitigate climate change in poorer countries who were already hard-pressed for resources. Another set of objections in these discussions leading to the ratification of the convention were expressed by the oil economies who were apprehensive about any measures that would demand a decrease in fossil fuel consumption and thereby threaten their prosperity and security. Given the complexities involved in the issue and the varying levels of commitment it was clear that while the convention would not be able to set any quantitative targets it would form a framework within which countries could establish their obligations with respect to climate change as a global phenomenon.

47 _{A Brief History on the Framework Convention of Climate Change: Earth Negotiations Bulletin, Vol.12,}

On 9 May 1992, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change was adopted. At the Rio Conference in 1992, the convention was endorsed by 155 signatories after which it came into force from March 1994. The convention covers those GHGs not covered by the Montreal Protocol48_{. The parties largely focus on their emissions of carbon dioxide, methane,}

nitrous oxide, perfluorinated hydrocarbons, hydroflourocarbons, and sulphur hexafluoride. It also created a method whereby emissions could be estimated in terms of carbon dioxide equivalents49_{. Once the convention came into force, negotiations continued to evolve through}

the Conference of Parties (COP). The COP is the main body that reviews the convention and makes decisions with the help of two subsidiary bodies that are largely engaged with the technical aspects of the convention. At the COP 1 in Berlin in March/April 1995 the negations moved towards strengthening the commitments of Annex 1 Parties.50 _Delegates

were required, in what came to be called the Berlin Mandate, to set quantitative targets to reduce emissions. The negotiations continued to be highly politicised, with several countries such as the oil-exporting countries and powerful industry groups, many from the United States of America, reluctant to make new commitments or agree that the old commitments were inadequate.51 _{Many from within the United States said any fresh commitments would}

have to be global, putting equal onus on the developed and developing countries alike. It was finally decided at Berlin that the current conventions commitments were inadequate and to ―begin a process to enable it to take appropriate action for a period beyond 2000.‖52

Industrialised countries were called upon to a) elaborate policies and measures and b) set

48

The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer is an international treaty signed by, to date, 196 countries to protect the ozone layer and phase out the production of substances that were resulting in ozone depletion. It entered into force in 1989.

49 _{United Nations Framework on Climate Change: The First Ten Years, Climate Change Secretariat, 2004}

http://unfccc.int/resource/docs/publications/first_ten_years_en.pdf (accessed April 21, 2009)

50

These are mostly the developed countries, of which there are currently 41, including the European Community which is a Party in its own right. Annex I countries were aiming to return their emissions by 2000 to 1990 levels (See United Nations Framework on Climate Change: The First Ten Years, Climate Change Secretariat, 2004, UNFCC, http://unfccc.int/resource/docs/publications/first_ten_years_en.pdf

51 _{Grubb, 1999, pp 46} 52

quantified limitation and reduction objectives within specified time-frames such as 2005, 2010, and 2020 for their anthropogenic emissions.