Climate: UNFCCC, IPCC

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC): The Convention on Climate Change sets an overall framework for intergovernmental efforts to tackle the challenge posed by climate change. It recognizes that the climate system is a shared resource whose stability can be affected by industrial and other emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.

The UNFCCC entered into force on 21 March 1994. Today, it has near-universal membership. The 195 countries that have ratified the Convention are called Parties to the Convention. The UNFCCC is a “Rio Convention”, one of three adopted at the “Rio Earth Summit” in 1992. Its sister Rio Conventions are the UN Convention on Biological Diversity and the Convention to Combat Desertification. The three are intrinsically linked. It is in this context that the Joint Liaison Group was set up to boost cooperation among the three Conventions, with the ultimate aim of developing synergies in their activities on issues of mutual concern. It now also incorporates the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC): The IPCC is a scientific body. It reviews and assesses the most recent scientific, technical and socio-economic information produced worldwide relevant to the understanding of climate change. It does not conduct any research nor does it monitor climate related data or parameters. It was established by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) to provide the world with a clear scientific view on the current state of knowledge in climate change and its potential environmental and socio-economic impacts.

 

a ship above a seaweed plantation in order to sequester carbon the seaweed is polluting the ocean
Research shows that mass seaweed plantations pose a major threat to marine ecosystems and are unlikely to capture or permanently store significant quantities of carbon. 20 Sep 2023
Illustration of report cover showing seaweed farming and marine ecosystem
Industrial seaweed will not cool the climate or save nature 14 Sep 2023
Participants from the People's Summit protest against neocolonialism during the Africa Climate Summit
Carbon Credits and Dangerous New Technologies in Africa 13 Sep 2023
Flyer repeating event details in text
Join civil society event at Bonn climate change "intersessionals" 7 Jun 2023
Profit driven experiments reveal how quickly solar geoengineering research can lead to deployment 11 Jan 2023
Geoengineering comprises a set of technologies that include interventions on land, in the oceans, or in the atmosphere. 3 Nov 2022
An image promoting a webinar on Geoengineering In Climate Negotitations with a picture of the world from space being squeezed by a wrench
Get the latest with Neth Daño, Silvia Ribeiro and Niki Martinez 24 Oct 2022
Table showing Top 4 companies re profits in agrocommodities sector
Food Barons 2022, names and ranks the largest food corporations dominating each link of the 8-10 trillion dollar commercial industrial food chain. 22 Sep 2022
Warnings from scientists, indigeous peoples, youth and climate activists 4 Jun 2021