Background

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) entered into force in 1994 and has become one of the most supported multilateral environmental agreements. Its objective is to reach stable greenhouse gas concentrations in the Earth's atmosphere, but it is considered legally non-binding. The main addition to the UNFCCC sets binding limits on greenhouse gas emissions and is known as the Kyoto Protocol.

The Kyoto Protocol is an international agreement that was adopted in Kyoto, Japan, on December 11^th 1997, and entered into force on February 16^th 2005. It sets binding commitments for industrialized countries for the reduction of four greenhouse gases[1] and two groups of gases[2] by an average of 5% below 1990 levels by the commitment period 2008-2012. Generally, these reduction targets are not being met.

With the Kyoto Protocol's first commitment period set to expire at the end of 2012, it was decided at COP13 in Bali to begin formal negotiations on a strengthened binding international agreement. The negotiations are due to be concluded at the 15^th Conference of Parties (COP15), which will be held 7-18 December 2009 in Copenhagen, and will determine the international community's next actions to tackle climate change, as well as the general future of the environment.

[1] Carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), nitrous oxide (N₂O) and sulphur hexafluoride (SF₆)

[2] Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) and perfluorocarbons (PFCs)

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