Image Credits: UNClimateChange - A cross-section of delegates during UN Climate Channge Conference, Bonn 2015.

The Role of the UNFCCC in Addressing Climate Change

Deborah Butler 27 September 2022

The UNFCCC’s Objective The UNFCCC– or United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change– plays a critical role in mitigating the effects of global warming on our planet. 198 Parties (or participating countries) have ratified the Convention, which translates into almost universal participation.

The UNFCCC’s Objective

The UNFCCC– or United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change– plays a critical role in mitigating the effects of global warming on our planet. 198 Parties (or participating countries) have ratified the Convention, which translates into almost universal participation. Though the objective of the Convention is quite ambitious, it maintains its goal of decreasing the world’s emissions levels to those from the year 1990.

The original intent was to reach this level by the year 2000. Some countries have already reached the goal, and several others continue to take decisive action to get there. Ultimately, the Convention hopes to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations to a level that “should be achieved within a time frame sufficient to allow ecosystems to adapt naturally to climate change, to ensure that food production is not threatened, and to enable economic development to proceed sustainably."

Three Guiding Principles of the UNFCCC

Implementing strategies to achieve carbon-neutral economics by 2050 is its first principle. Furthermore, these strategies should be consistent with the Paris Agreement and UN Sustainable Development Goals.
The UNFCCC strives to create policies that achieve long-term climate strategy goals efficiently and effectively.
The Convention seeks to create policies that end fossil fuel subsidies. Removing incentives to corporations that run on or produce fossil fuels creates the economic feasibility of non-fossil fuel use.

The UNFCCC parties have agreed that industrial countries should lead the way in these policies. Accordingly, these countries are Annex I Countries and have been called upon to reduce emissions through the Kyoto Protocol. China, the United States, and the European Union, the world’s three biggest polluters, have set a net-zero target. However, this means that at least 90% of carbon emissions must be eliminated before offsets can be used.

These three countries' emissions constitute about 76% of all global emissions. Therefore, a net-zero target for them would mean a significant worldwide reduction. Additionally, over 1,200 companies have put science-based targets in line with net zero, and over 1,000 cities, over 1,000 educational institutions, and 400 financial institutions have joined the Race to Zero, pledging to take immediate stringent actions to cut global emissions in half by 2030.

The Most Important Role in Addressing Climate Change

With the planet facing a climate emergency, the most critical role is that of everyday citizens in mobilizing collective action. In 2015, 196 countries adopted the historic Paris Agreement to reduce global warming and build resilience to climate change. Its overall goal is to limit warming to no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius by 2030. But leaving the fate of our planet in the hands of just a few leaders seems counterintuitive.

Every one of us is a stakeholder in the future of our world. We all know that collective action works. Thinking back to the Civil Rights Movement, Women’s Suffrage, and The Montgomery Bus Boycott– all created a change in society. Enter the 3.5% rule. In 2010, two political scientists, Erica Chenoweth and Maria Stephan, coined this phrase.

After studying grassroots and activist movements from the last 90 years, they found that change was almost certain to occur when at least 3.5% of the population participated in nonviolent campaigns. Suppose enough grassroots efforts (such as demonstrations, consumer boycotts, and stay-at-home strikes) are mechanized. In that case, it might be enough to drive leaders to incorporate fundamental changes at the national level.

Conclusions

Because of the UNFCCC’s efforts to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees (preferably to 1.5 degrees) Celsius through the Paris Agreement, we’ve already seen significant progress. However, there is still much to do. To continue with the campaign's momentum, each community and each person has the right and responsibility to use their voice in collective action to keep our leaders accountable and on track. Activating change isn’t an option. In the words of Mark Berners-Lee’s book title, “There is no planet B.”

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