Context:
Next month, the 28th edition of the Conference of Parties (CoP) is scheduled to take place in Dubai, spanning two weeks.
About UNFCCC
- United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
- Forms the basis for most subsequent international climate agreements, constituting the foundational climate agreement.
- Signed in 1992 at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (The Rio Earth Summit)
- Entered into force in 1994
- Ratified by 197 countries
- UNFCCC birthed both the Kyoto Protocol and Paris Agreement
Common but differentiated responsibilities
The concept of common but differentiated responsibilities is endorsed by the UNFCCC in the climate context. This signifies that, although developing country parties are anticipated to contribute to climate mitigation, developed countries are expected to take the lead in addressing climate change and its adverse effects. This distinction is based on the superior capacity of developed nations to undertake mitigation efforts and their greater contribution to the problem of climate change due to historical emissions.
Conference of the Parties (COP)
- COP (Conference of the Parties) is the supreme decision-making body of the Convention.
- All States that are Parties to the Convention are represented at the COP.
- The COP reviews the implementation of the Convention and other legal instruments it adopts.
- Decisions are made to promote effective implementation, including institutional and administrative arrangements.
- COP meets every year
- 1st COP meeting – Germany (1995)
Source: The Hindu
Previous year question
Which one of the following is associated with the issue of control and phasing out of the use of ozone-depleting substances? [UPSC Civil Services Exam – 2015 Prelims]
(a) Bretton Woods Conference
(b) Montreal Protocol
(c) Kyoto Protocol
(d) Nagoya Protocol
Answer: (b)
Explanation:
The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer is a significant international agreement that governs the production and use of approximately 100 artificial chemicals that are known as ozone-depleting substances (ODS). These substances, when released into the atmosphere, cause damage to the Earth’s stratospheric ozone layer, which acts as a protective barrier against harmful levels of ultraviolet radiation from the sun. The Protocol was adopted on September 16, 1987, and stands out as one of the few treaties to achieve universal ratification.
