International Environmental Agreements Flashcards
x4 international environmental agreements
Rio 1992
Kyoto 1997
Copenhagen 2009
Paris 2015
Rio 1992: basic information
Rio 1992 (UN Conference on Environment and Development, also known as the ‘Earth Summit’)
172 countries represented
108 countries sent heads of government/heads of state
2400 representatives of NGOs attended
largest ever environmental conference held up to this point
Rio 1992: main decisions
the Convention of Biological Diversity
the Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC)
the Principles for the Sustainable Management of Forests
the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development
Agenda 21 (UN programme of action from Rio)
Rio 1992: strengths
an important step in the development of global environmental policy
paved the way for the adoption of legally binding targets at Kyoto
focus on sustainable development has led to a holistic approach to human rights, population control, poverty, gender inequality and the environment
allowed NGOs to be represented and influence the agenda on environmental protection
Rio 1992: weaknesses
the agreements reached at Rio lacked ambition and were not legally binding
too many different positions made agreement difficult to reach
developed and developing states disagreed over the responsibility for tackling climate change
Kyoto 1997: basic information
Kyoto 1997 (UN Climate Change Conference)
192 parties signed up to the Kyoto Protocol
83 countries ratified it in their own nation
the Protocol ran until 2012
in 2012, at the Doha Conference, the binding targets of the Protocol were extended beyond 2012 for 37 countries
Kyoto 1997: main decisions
the Kyoto Protocol, under which developed countries agreed to cut emissions by at least 5.2% on 1990 levels between 2008–12
the EU was given a target of 8% and the USA 7%
Australia was allowed to exceed its 1990 level
flexibility mechanisms allowed states to engage in carbon trading to meet their targets
Kyoto 1997: strengths
introduced the first legally binding targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions
flexible targets and carbon trading made it easier for states to agree to binding targets
carbon trading promotes investment by richer countries in poorer ones
Kyoto 1997: weaknesses
carbon trading is open to abuse and allows richer states to avoid reducing their emissions
the Protocol did not come into force until 2005 – when Russia ratified the treaty – because it required signatories to be responsible for at least 55% of 1990 emissions
cutting emissions by on average 5% is not enough to stop global warming, more needed to be done and the Kyoto Protocol was not enough
the USA, the largest producer of greenhouse gases at the time, withdrew from the Protocol in 2001
India and China did not sign the agreement, but are significant producers of greenhouse gases
excluding developing countries, which have become significant polluters, from binding targets has compromised the effectiveness of Kyoto
carbon dioxide levels are four times higher than they were in the 1990s, suggesting that the Protocol has been ineffective
Copenhagen 2009: basic information
Copenhagen 2009 (UN Climate Change Conference)
163 countries participated
101 countries sent heads of government/heads of state, including President Obama and Premier Wei Jiaboa of China
resulted in the Copenhagen Accord, drafted by USA, China, India, Brazil and South Africa
Copenhagen 2009: main decisions
to keep the rise in global temperature below 2°C above pre-industrial levels
developed countries to provide $30 billion (2010–12) in development aid to help poorer countries cut emissions and adapt to climate change
by 2020, developing countries to receive $100 billion a year in aid from richer countries, half from private sources
developed countries to submit plans for cutting emissions to the UN for inspection and monitoring
developed and emerging economies to submit to the UN reports on emissions for measurement and verification
Copenhagen 2009: strengths
Copenhagen prepared the way for emission cuts
President Obama proposed to cut US emissions by 4% by 2020 on 1990 levels
China and other emerging economies committed themselves to cutting emissions, something which the Kyoto Protocol had not managed to achieve
Copenhagen 2009: weaknesses
participants only required to take note of the Accord – no binding action to reduce emissions required
no date set for agreeing binding targets
the Accord is vague about where the developed countries will get the money for development aid and how it will be used by developing countries
no detail provided about the measurement and verification process for checking emissions
Paris 2015: basic information
Paris 2015 (UN Climate Change Conference, also known as Conference of Parties 21 (COP21))
the 21st conference since Rio in 1992
195 countries represented
by April 2016, 174 countries had signed the Paris Agreement
Paris 2015: main decisions
long-term goal of keeping the increase in global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels
aim to limit the increase to 1.5°C to significantly reduce the risks and impacts of climate change
global emissions to peak as soon as possible, recognising that this will take longer for developing countries
undertake rapid reductions thereafter in accordance with the best available science
every country to submit five-year plans on how to cut greenhouse gas emissions
the Agreement will not come into force until signed by at least 55 countries that together produce at least 55% of global greenhouse gas emissions
