Important environmental agreements

Important environmental agreements

1)UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE ON HUMAN ENVIRONMENT.

United Nations conference on human environment was held between 5 to 16th June 1972 in Stockholm, Sweden to adress the major environmental issues. This is also known as the Stockholm convention, and it makes the significant moment in the history of international environment awareness. It was the first major conference of United Nations.

2)CITES 1973

Convention on international trade in endangered species of wild Fauna and Flora(CITES) was signed by 184 countries which introduced in 1973 and entered into force in 1975. CITES headquarter is located in Geneva, Switzerland. The main objective of this convention is preservation of earth's plants and animals by prohibiting the international trade of endangered species. It regulates the international trade of 360000 species against exploitaltion.

3)BASEL CONVENTION 1989

Basel convention is an international treaty adopted in Basel, Switzerland in 1989. The main objective of this treaty is to reduce the transboundary moment of hazardous waste between the nations.

4) MONTREAL PROTOCOL

Montreal protocol is an international treaty formally known as Montreal protocol on substance that deplete the Ozone layer, signed in 1987 and entered into force on 1 January 1989. It provides the protection to the Ozone layer by phasing out the production and consumption of ozone depleting substance (ODS)  such as Chlorofluorocarbons, halons, methyl chloroform etc are phased out by 2030.

5)RIO SUMMIT 1992

The United Nations conference on environment and development (UNCED) is also known as the Rio summit, Rio conference or Earth summit, which was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from 3 to 14th June 1992. In Rio summit 172 countries governments participated by sending their heads of states, to adress the major environmental issues such as climate change and sustainable development.

The outcomes of Rio summit

1) Convention on biological diversity

2) Convention on climate change (UNFCCC)

3) Convention on combat desertification

1) Convention on biological diversity (CBD)

It is one of the international treaty established at the earth summit to promote the conservation of biological diversity, sustainable use of components and equal sharing of benifits arising from genetic resources

2)United Nations framework on convention on climate change(UNFCCC)

The objective of this framework is stabilizing the atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases to avoid dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system.

3)United Nations framework on combat desertification (UNFCD)

This treaty is adress the issues like droughts, land degradation and desertification.

6)KYOTO PROTOCOL

Base year 1990

The KYOTO Protocol was signed on 11 December 1997 and entered into force on 16 February 2005 in Kyoto, JapanThe primary aim of Kyoto protocol was reduce and manage the green house gases and corbon dioxide emission.

Kyoto protocol implemented in two phases 

First phase commitment period 2008-2012 which aims at reducing the emission of six green house gases at least by 5% compared to 1990 levels.

During the second commitment period(2008-2020) the level of greenhouse gases reduced to 18% below 1990 levels.

Ammendment of Kyoto protocol

Under Doha agreement new ammendment was made to Kyoto protocol in 8 December 2012 which extend the commitment period of parties for the period 2013 - 2020.

It is a legally binding agreement between the countries. Under Kyoto protocol countries are classified into two groups.

Annex 1 Countries are industrialized(Developed) nations and economic in transition countries.

Annex 2 countries are the developed countries with special financial responsibilities. It consists of the OECD members of annex 1 except those are in economic in transition.

Non Annex countries are the low income and  developing nations, which are not listed in annex 1 of Kyoto protocol. These countries have no emission target, they have only  required to report their emission.

The Paris Agreement is another important international treaty on climate change  adopted by 196 countries at COP 21 in Paris on 12 December 2015 and entered into force on 4 November 2016 under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). 

The main objective of this agreement is to limiting global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, with a target of limiting it to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

8) INTERNATIONAL SOLAR  ALLIANCE

International solar alliance is an international intergovernmental  alliance of 121 countries launched by India and France on 30 November 2015 and entered into force on 6 December 2017. Headquarter is located at Gurgaon, this alliance consisting the sunshine countries, which lies between Tropic of cancer and Tropic of Capricorn.

Objective of ISA

1)To improve the energy access and energy security between the countries.

2)To utilise the solar energy in most efficient way.

3) India had pledge a target of installing 100Gw by 2022 and reduction of emission intensity by 30-35% by 2030.

4)1000Gw solar energy generation globally by 2030.

9)RAMSAR CONVENTION (1971)

It focuses on the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands, which are crucial for biodiversity and mitigating climate change.

These agreements involve participating countries committing to specific actions, targets, and cooperation mechanisms to address environmental challenges at the global level. The effectiveness of these agreements often depends on the willingness of nations to implement and enforce them.