UNFCCC Milestones

In 1992, countries joined an international treaty, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, to cooperatively consider what they could do to limit average global temperature increases and the resulting climate change, and to cope with whatever impacts were, by then, inevitable.

By 1995, countries realized that emission reductions provisions in the Convention were inadequate. They launched negotiations to strengthen the global response to climate change, and, two years later, adopted the Kyoto Protocol. The Kyoto Protocol legally binds developed countries to emission reduction targets. The Protocol’s first commitment period started in 2008 and ended in 2012. The second commitment period began on 1 January 2013 and will end in 2020.

There are now 195 Parties to the Convention and 192 Parties to the Kyoto Protocol. The UNFCCC secretariat supports all institutions involved in the international climate change negotiations, particularly the Conference of the Parties (COP), the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties (CMP), and the subsidiary bodies which advise the COP/CMP.

Principal milestones

Year	Conference of the Parties
2015	COP21, Paris Negotiations resulted in the adoption of the Paris Agreement on 12 December, governing climate change reduction measures from 2020. The adoption of this agreement ended the work of the Durban platform, established during COP17.
2014	COP 20, Lima At the twentieth Conference of the Parties, world governments had the opportunity to make a last collective push towards a new and meaningful universal agreement in 2015.
2013	COP 19, Warsaw Key decisions adopted at this conference include decisions on further advancing the Durban Platform, the Green Climate Fund and Long-Term Finance, the Warsaw Framework for REDD+Plus, the Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage and other decisions. Report: FCCC/CP/2013/10
2012	COP 18 Doha, Qatar At the 2012 UN Climate Change Conference governments consolidated the gains of the last three years of international climate change negotiations and opened a gateway to necessary greater ambition and action on all levels. Among the many decisions taken, governments: Strengthened their resolve and set out a timetable to adopt a universal climate agreement by 2015, which will come into effect in 2020. Streamlined the negotiations, completing the work under the Bali Action Plan to concentrate on the new work towards a 2015 agreement under a single negotiating stream in the Ad hoc Working Group on the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action (ADP). Emphasized the need to increase their ambition to cut greenhouse gases (GHGs) and to help vulnerable countries to adapt. Launched a new commitment period under the Kyoto Protocol, thereby ensuring that this treaty's important legal and accounting models remain in place and underlining the principle that developed countries lead mandated action to cut greenhouse gas emissions. Made further progress towards establishing the financial and technology support and new institutions to enable clean energy investments and sustainable growth in developing countries. Report: FCCC/CP/2011/9
2011	COP 17, Durban All governments committed to a comprehensive plan that would come closer over time to delivering the ultimate objective of the Climate Change Convention: to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that will prevent our dangerous interference with the climate system and at the same time will preserve the right to sustainable development. Decision 1/CP.17 Ad Hoc Working Group on the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action (ADP)
2010	COP 16, Cancun The Cancun Agreements were a set of significant decisions by the international community to address the long-term challenge of climate change collectively and comprehensively over time, and to take concrete action immediately to speed up the global response to it. Establish clear goals and a timely schedule for reducing human-generated greenhouse gas emissions over time to keep the global average temperature rise below two degrees; Encourage the participation of all countries in reducing these emissions, in accordance with each country's different responsibilities and capabilities to do so. Review progress made towards two-degree objective, and a review by 2015 on whether the objective needs to be strengthened in future, including the consideration of a 1.5C goal, on the basis of the best scientific knowledge available. Report : FCCC/CP/2010/7/Add.1
2009	COP 15 Copenhagen, Denmark.
2008	COP 14 Poznan, Poland
2007	COP13 Bali The Bali Road Map includes the Bali Action Plan, which charts the course for a new negotiating process designed to tackle climate change. The Bali Action Plan is a comprehensive process to enable the full, effective and sustained implementation of the Convention through long-term cooperative action, now, up to and beyond 2012, in order to reach an agreed outcome and adopt a decision. All Parties to the Convention were involved in crafting the Bali Road Map. The COP decided that the process would be conducted under a subsidiary body under the Convention, the Ad Hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action (AWG-LCA).
2006	COP 12, Nairobi Decision 1/CP12: Further guidance to an entity entrusted with the operation of the financial mechanism of the Convention, for the operation of the Special Climate Change Fund:
2005	COP11, Montreal Decisions on CDM, Adaptation Fund and LDCF (Further guidance for the operation of the Least Developed Countries Fund LDCF). Additional guidance to an operating entity of the financial mechanism
2004	COP 10. Buenos Aires Decision 1/CP10: Buenos Aires programme of work on adaptation and response measures. Decision 8/CP10:Additional guidance to an operating entity of the financial mechanism
2003	COP9 Milan
2002	COP8 New Delhi
2001	COP7 Marrakesh – Marrakesh Accords Decision 10/CP.7. :Establishment of the Adaptation Fund
2000	COP6 The Hague Bonn agreements on the Implementation of the Buenos Aires Plan of Action, Decision 5/CP6
1998	COP4 Buenos Aires Buenos Aires Action Plan - Decision 2/CP.4

[1] Selected information from the UNFCCC Website

Key links

United Nations Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)

List of Non-Annex I Parties to the Convention