United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) secretariat (UN Climate Change), is an agency that operates under the United Nations. An international entity, UNFCCC are tasked with effectively addressing issues in relation to climate change, and promoting a collaborative global effort by facilitating intergovernmental negotiations.
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OVERVIEW
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was first established in 1992 and now has near universal membership with 197 Parties signed. Originally located in Geneva, Switzerland, the head office has been in Bonn, Germany, since 1995.
The key objectives of UNFCCC can be seen through the international agreements that have been established under its governance treaty:
- The Kyoto Protocol
- The 2015 Paris Agreement
The primary objectives that underpin both these agreements is to effectively reduce greenhouse gas emissions that are entering the atmosphere due to anthropogenic activity, to restrict potential negative interferences with Earth’s climate system. This needs to be done by adopting a sustainable development lens and in a time frame that ensures ecosystems can adequately adapt.
UNFCCC is responsible with providing expertise to Parties and stakeholders and assists in the analysis and review of the climate change situation. It organises and supports negotiating sessions, the largest and most important being the Conference of the Parties, held annually at different locations around the globe. It is the largest annual United Nations conference, attended by around 25,000 participants.
UNFCCC operates within a structure of three main departments:
Executive: This is the head department that is responsible for oversight and administration of the other two departments. This department has two branches to facilitate this: Communication & Engagement and Intergovernmental Support & Collective Progress.
Operations: This department is comprised of three divisions: Legal Affairs, Conference Affairs, and Administrative Services, Human Resources & Information and Communication Technology (AS/HR/ICT). This department aims to enhance intergovernmental processes, ensure legal compliance with all frameworks and institutions and to organise and provide services for the conferences, workshops and events.
Programmes: This department consists of four divisions: Adaptation, Mitigation, Means of Implementation and Transparency. They work together to support intergovernmental processes and mechanisms, work directly to support climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts and to provide support in order to promote ambition and capabilities of the Parties.
These departments work in conjunction with one another and the Parties to plan and facilitate approximately 2-4 international negotiating meetings annually.
MISSION STATEMENT
Objective:
Achieve stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system, in a time frame which allows ecosystems to adapt naturally and enables sustainable development.
FUNDING SOURCES
There have been various funding mechanisms created by the UNFCCC in order to support the agreements, frameworks and agenda of the organisation.
- Special Climate Change Fund – Established in 2001 to financially assist projects involved in: adaptation & mitigation measures, diffusion of technology, energy, transport, agricultural practices, waste management and promoting economic diversity.
- Least Developed Countries Fund – Established in 2001, its objective is to provide monetary assistance to what are deemed as the least developed countries in order to help them imlpement and engage with National Adaptation Programs for Action (NAPAs).
- Adaptation Fund – Established in 2001 to fund efforts by developing country Parties of climate change adaptation projects and programmes. This fund is overseen by the Adaptation Fund Board.
- Green Climate Fund – Established in 2010 to primarily provide funding and assistance to developing nations efforts in mobilising and ambition to promote climate change adaptation and mitigation.
In relation to the 2015 Paris Agreement, there is a requirement that developed country Parties are to provide financial assistance to developing country Parties in addition to their existing obligations to the Agreement.