United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), 1992
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It is an International
environmental treaty that came into existence under the aegis of UN.
UNFCCC was negotiated
at the Earth Summit, Rio de Janeiro, 1992.
It was opened for signing
at Rio de Janeiro and afterwards at UN headquarters, New York City.
UNFCCC has 197
parties.
Role: UNFCCC provides a framework for negotiating
specific international treaties (called тАЬprotocolsтАЭ) that aim
to set binding limits on greenhouse gases.
Objective of UNFCCC: Stabilize greenhouse gas
concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent
dangerous consequences.
Legal Effect: Treaty is considered legally non-binding.
The treaty itself sets
no binding limits on greenhouse gas emissions for individual countries.
In 1997, the Kyoto
Protocol (3rd COP) was concluded and established legally
binding obligations for developed countries to reduce their greenhouse gas
emissions.