The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is an international environmental treaty adopted in 1992 to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In South Korea, it is commonly abbreviated as UNFCCC, from United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
The issue of climate change emerged as a full-fledged international agenda with the establishment of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 1988. Subsequently, the international community adopted the UNFCCC at the Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1992, and the Convention formally entered into force in March 1994. Currently, 198 countries participate as Parties to the UNFCCC, making it effectively the only climate treaty signed by virtually the entire world.
The UNFCCC Secretariat is located in Bonn, Germany, and carries out functions including reviewing the greenhouse gas emissions management systems of Parties, registering and managing Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), and strengthening capacity and providing support to developing countries.
[UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) Ⓟ ESG.ONL/ESG Today]
The UNFCCC carries meaning beyond a mere treaty document in international climate response. The Convention institutionalized the principle of ‘common but differentiated responsibilities,’ making it the first legal framework to officially recognize the difference in greenhouse gas emission responsibilities between developed and developing countries. Climate diplomacy issues — such as support for irrecoverable damage suffered by developing countries due to climate change — are negotiated within the UNFCCC framework.
However, the UNFCCC has also been criticized over whether it is a convention capable of responding effectively to climate change. NDCs are voluntary national targets with no enforcement mechanism, and the UNFCCC Conference of the Parties (COP) agreements operate on the principle of consensus, which means they can remain at the level of the lowest common denominator — these are pointed to as limitations. As the pace of the climate crisis outstrips the pace of international negotiations, voices are growing louder that the UNFCCC must become a driver of change that promotes substantive climate action.
by Editor O