The United Nations Convention on Global Warming
The United Nations Framework Convention on climate change came into force on 21st March 1994. Signed by over 160 countries in 1992, it set the agenda for action to slow and stabilize climate change. The signatories to the convention recognized the reality of global warming, and the uncertainties associated with current predictions of climate change, and agreed that action to mitigate the effects of climate change need to be taken. It also pointed out that developed countries should take the lead in this action (Krasno, 2004).
The convention mentions one particular aim concerned with the relatively short-term and one far-reaching objective (Krasno, 2004). The particular aim is that developed countries should take action to return greenhouse gas emissions, in particular those of carbon dioxide, to their 1990 levels by the year 2000. The long-term objective of the Convention expressed in Article 2, is that the concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere should be stabilized ‘at a level which would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system’ (Krasno, 2004, p.13). This stabilization should be achieved within a time-frame sufficient to allow ecosystems to adapt naturally to climate change so that food production is not threatened. In addition, it will enable economic development to proceed in a sustainable manner. In setting this objective, the convention recognized that it is only by stabilizing the concentration of greenhouse gases, especially carbon dioxide, in the atmosphere that the rapid climate change which is expected to occur with global warming can be halted (Newton, 2009).
The first sessions of the conference of the parties to the climate convention took place, in March/April 1995 and July 1996. Five others have taken place in the last decade and discussions have focused around commitments which can be made for greenhouse gas reductions (Krasno, 2004). The target for...