What Is UNFCCC?
In 1992, growing concerns over the escalating impacts of climate change, including rising global temperatures, melting glaciers, and increasing extreme weather events, prompted the establishment of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). This international treaty, adopted during the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, sought to address the urgent need to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere and prevent harmful human-induced climate disruption.
The UNFCCC is a framework convention, providing guidelines and principles for global collaboration on climate action. It emphasizes the principle of “common but differentiated responsibilities,” acknowledging that while all countries share the responsibility to combat climate change, developed nations bear a greater burden due to their historical emissions and advanced capabilities.
What Is Conference Of Parties?
To implement the Convention’s goals, the Conference of the Parties (COP) was established as the supreme decision-making body. The COP convenes annually to assess progress, review national communications and emission inventories submitted by Parties, and adopt decisions to ensure effective implementation of the Convention. This includes institutional and administrative arrangements to meet the challenges posed by climate change.
The first COP meeting, COP1, took place in Berlin, Germany, in 1995. It resulted in the Berlin Mandate, a pivotal agreement recognizing the inadequacy of existing measures under the UNFCCC and calling for legally binding commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This mandate laid the groundwork for the Kyoto Protocol and set the stage for decades of global collaboration and accountability in addressing climate change.
What Parties Are in COP?
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The UNFCCC has achieved near-universal membership, consisting of 198 Parties including 197 countries and one regional economic integration organization – the European Union. Together, they work collaboratively to combat the global threat of climate change and meet the objectives outlined in the Convention.
According to the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, the Parties are classified into categories based on their contribution to greenhouse gas emissions and their capacity for climate mitigation and action.
Annex 1, Annex 2, Non Annex 1 Parties, and LDCs
Annex I Parties
Annex I Parties consist of industrialized nations and economies in transition (EITs), forming a pivotal group under the UNFCCC framework. These include developed countries such as the United States, Canada, and members of the European Union, alongside EITs like Russia, Poland, and Ukraine, which are transitioning from centrally planned to market-oriented economies. This categorization reflects their advanced industrial development or significant emissions history, which places them at the forefront of climate action responsibility.
The primary expectation for Annex I Parties is to stabilize their greenhouse gas emissions at 1990 levels or below, emphasizing their leadership role in mitigating climate change. As the most industrialized and historically high-emitting nations, they are tasked with setting ambitious goals, implementing effective policies, and demonstrating sustainable practices. Additionally, they play a critical role in supporting global efforts by contributing to climate funds and transferring technology to less-developed nations, helping bridge the gap between developing and developed countries in the fight against climate change.
However, achieving these targets is not without challenges. Economies in transition face particular difficulties as they modernize outdated infrastructure and industries, often requiring significant investments and systemic reforms. Even among more developed nations, balancing stringent emission reduction commitments with domestic economic growth and political pressures poses ongoing complexities. Despite these hurdles, Annex I countries remain essential to driving global climate action and inspiring collective progress.
OECD Members (24):
Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, European Union (as a single entity), Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States.
Economies in Transition (EITs, 19):
Belarus, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Russian Federation, Slovakia, Slovenia, Ukraine, Albania, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia.
Annex II Parties
Annex II Parties are a subset of Annex I, comprising advanced industrialized countries that are members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), such as the United States, Japan, Germany, and Australia. These nations are distinguished by their economic capacity to support global climate action beyond their domestic commitments.
Annex II countries are tasked with providing financial aid to developing nations, enabling them to transition to low-carbon economies and adapt to climate impacts. They also play a key role in technology transfer, offering expertise and advanced technologies to support sustainable development in less industrialized regions.
Despite their resources, Annex II Parties often struggle to meet financial pledges, including the $100 billion annual climate finance goal. These shortfalls raise concerns among developing countries about the reliability of promised support, highlighting the need for more consistent and transparent contributions.
Non-Annex I Parties
Non-Annex I Parties are primarily developing countries from Africa, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and the Caribbean. This group includes Small Island Developing States (SIDS), which face heightened risks from rising sea levels and extreme weather events.
These Parties are not obligated to meet specific emission reduction targets but are expected to focus on adaptation measures to minimize the impacts of climate change. They are also encouraged to pursue sustainable development and voluntarily contribute to global climate goals.
Resource limitations, inadequate infrastructure, and lack of technology hinder their ability to address climate change effectively. Many rely on international support, including financial aid and capacity-building, to enhance resilience and implement sustainable practices.
Non-Annex 1 Parties:
Africa (54):
Examples include Algeria, Angola, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and others.
Asia-Pacific (45):
Examples include Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Maldives, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, and others.
Latin America and the Caribbean (33):
Examples include Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Venezuela, and others.
Small Island Developing States (SIDS, 39):
Examples include Fiji, Maldives, Seychelles, Papua New Guinea, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, and others.
Eastern Europe (12 not in Annex I):
Includes countries like Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Moldova.
Least Developed Countries (LDCs)
LDCs are a subset of Non-Annex I Parties, comprising nations with the lowest socio-economic development, such as Ethiopia, Bangladesh, and Haiti. These countries are highly vulnerable to climate change due to limited resources and infrastructure.
LDCs are prioritized for international assistance to enhance climate resilience. This includes financial aid, capacity-building programs, and access to technology to address climate impacts such as extreme weather, rising sea levels, and food insecurity.
Despite this support, LDCs face significant challenges in building adaptation infrastructure, ensuring food security, and protecting their populations from displacement caused by climate change. Their limited capacity makes global cooperation critical to their survival and sustainable development.
Least Developed Countries (46):
Examples include Afghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Chad, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Guinea, Haiti, Kiribati, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Tuvalu, Uganda, Yemen, and Zambia.
What is the Objective Of COP?
The primary objective of the COP is to review the implementation of the UNFCCC and any other legal instruments that the COP adopts, and to make decisions necessary to promote the effective implementation of the Convention. This includes reviewing national communications and emission inventories submitted by Parties, assessing the effects of the measures taken by Parties, and the progress made in achieving the ultimate objective of the Convention.
COP29 Baku, Azerbaijan Outcome – In a Nutshell
The 29th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP29) concluded in Baku, Azerbaijan, in 2024 after two weeks of intense negotiations. Delegates reached an agreement to set a new climate finance goal of at least $300 billion annually by 2035—three times the previous $100 billion target. The new goal aims to support developing countries in cutting emissions and addressing the growing impacts of climate change. However, many noted this figure falls short of the actual needs for low-carbon development and protecting vulnerable populations from intensifying droughts, floods, and wildfires.
Despite the progress on finance, the summit saw contentious debates over acknowledging last year’s call to phase out fossil fuels. With no consensus reached, the issue was deferred to future negotiations, leaving a critical gap in efforts to limit global warming to 1.5°C.
Developing countries expressed deep frustration with the lack of ambition from wealthier nations. The Least Developed Countries (LDC) Group released a statement saying, “Once again, the countries most responsible for the climate crisis have failed us. We leave Baku without sufficient finance, a robust plan to limit warming, or the comprehensive support needed for adaptation and loss and damage.”
While COP29 demonstrated a continued commitment to collective action, the outcomes highlighted the need for greater ambition and urgency, especially as attention shifts to COP30 in Belém, Brazil.
Conclusion
The Conference of the Parties (COP) stands as the supreme decision-making body under the UNFCCC, tasked with accelerating climate action and periodically assessing progress toward the Convention’s goals. It serves as the central platform for addressing key political, economic, and social issues related to climate change, including emissions reduction, low-carbon development, climate finance, and the disparity between developed and developing nations.
While COP drives global efforts to tackle climate challenges, it faces persistent hurdles such as ensuring climate justice, setting specific and actionable goals, deploying practical climate finance mechanisms, and fostering effective leadership. Addressing these issues is crucial to bridging the gap between ambitious commitments and real-world outcomes.
Despite its challenges, COP remains indispensable in spearheading global climate action. It is the arena where nations converge to deliberate, negotiate, and act, striving to create a sustainable future for all. With increasing urgency, COP must continue to evolve and deliver solutions that meet the scale of the climate crisis.
