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UNFCCC

Legislative instrument details: UNFCCC

Classification
Legal name United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
Short name UNFCCC
CELEX reference
Identification number UN 1992
Issued by UN Framework Convention on Climate Change
URL to issuer http://unfccc.int/
Parent legislative instrument
Valid from 21/03/1994
Abstract The Climate Change Convention entered into force on 21 March 1994.
Adopted in 1992 at the Rio Earth Summit, most members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) plus the states of Central and Eastern Europe - known collectively as Annex I countries - are committed to adopting policies and measures aimed at returning their greenhouse-gas emissions to 1990 levels by the year 2000. All Parties will develop and submit "national communications" containing inventories of greenhouse-gas emissions by source and greenhouse-gas removals by "sinks".

The Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change was adopted by consensus at the third session of the Conference of the Parties (COP-3) in December 1997, it contains new emissions targets developed countries. They commit themselves to reduce their collective emissions of six key greenhouse gases by at least 5%. Each country's emissions target must be achieved by the period 2008-2012. Cuts in the three most important gases - carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N20) - will be measured against a base year of 1990. Cuts in three long-lived industrial gases - hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) - can be measured against either a 1990 or 1995 baseline.

The Protocol was opened for signature for one year starting 16 March 1998. It will enter into force 90 days after it has been ratified by at least 55 Parties to the Convention, including developed countries representing at least 55% of the total 1990 carbon dioxide emissions from this group. In the meantime, governments will continue to carry out their commitments under the Climate Change Convention. The European Union and all its member States ratified the Kyoto Protocol in 2002.
Reporting framework
Reporting obligations
Comments
EC entry into force
EC accession
Convention secretariat