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COP26 climate conference:

GS Paper 3:

Topics Covered: Conservation related issues.

 

Context:

The UK will host the COP 26 UN Climate Change Conference from October 31 to November 12.

 

What is the Conference of Parties?

COP comes under the United Nations Climate Change Framework Convention (UNFCCC) which was formed in 1994.

  • The UNFCCC was established to work towards “stabilisation of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere.”
  • COP members have been meeting every year since 1995 (COP1 was held in 1995 in Berlin).

 

It laid out a list of responsibilities for the member states which included:

  1. Formulating measures to mitigate climate change.
  2. Cooperating in preparing for adaptation to the impact of climate change.
  3. Promoting education, training and public awareness related to climate change.

 

According to the UNFCCC, COP26 will work towards four goals:

  1. Secure global net-zero by mid-century and keep 1.5 degrees within reach.
  2. Adapt to protect communities and natural habitats.
  3. Mobilise finance: To deliver on our first two goals, developed countries must make good on their promise to mobilise at least $100bn in climate finance per year by 2020.
  4. ‘Finalise the Paris Rulebook’: Leaders will work together to frame a list of detailed rules that will help fulfil the Paris Agreement.

 

About UNFCCC:

The UNFCCC was adopted in 1992 at the Rio Earth Summit, which marked the beginning of the international community’s first concerted effort to confront the problem of climate change.

  • Known also as the Rio Convention, the UNFCCC established a framework for action to stabilise concentrations of greenhouse gases in the earth’s atmosphere.
  • The UNFCCC entered into force in 1994, and nearly all of the world’s nations have now signed on.
  • It is the parent treaty of the 2015 Paris Agreement. It is also the parent treaty of the 1997 Kyoto Protocol.

 

Insta Curious:

The eleventh and first ever virtual Petersberg Climate Dialogue was held on April 28th 2020. What was it about? Reference: read this.

 

InstaLinks:

Prelims Link:

  1. What is UNFCCC?
  2. What is Copenhagen summit?
  3. Who organises Petersberg Climate Dialogue?
  4. What is COP?

Sources: Indian Express.