What international agreements or initiatives exist to address the challenges posed by climate change on a global scale?
Some of the major international agreements and initiatives that address the challenges posed by climate change on a global scale include the Paris Agreement, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and the Kyoto Protocol.
Long answer
The Paris Agreement is a landmark international agreement adopted in 2015. Its main goal is to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, and to pursue efforts to limit this increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius. It requires countries to submit Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) outlining their efforts to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, as well as reporting on their progress.
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is an international environmental treaty established in 1994. It provides an overall framework for intergovernmental efforts aimed at combating climate change, with the ultimate objective of achieving stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level, which would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system.
The Kyoto Protocol, adopted in 1997 and entered into force in 2005, is an important precursor to these agreements. It sets binding greenhouse gas emission targets for developed countries, known as Annex I Parties, and establishes mechanisms such as emissions trading and Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) to enable these parties to meet their targets more cost-effectively.
Other notable initiatives include the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which provides scientific assessments of climate change; the Green Climate Fund, which mobilizes financial resources for developing countries; and various regional agreements such as the European Union Emissions Trading System.
These agreements and initiatives play critical roles in addressing climate change by promoting collective action, knowledge sharing, financing mechanisms, technology transfer, adaptation strategies, and global cooperation towards sustainable development.