Climate change is considered to be one of the most serious threats to sustainable development, with adverse impacts expected on the environment, human health, food security, economic activity and investment, natural resources and physical infrastructure. The poorer, developing countries are the least equipped to adapt to the potential effects of climate change. The Global Climate Change Regime is in full force and national governments all over the world are party to the regime.
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was adopted in 1992 and entered into force in 1994. It provides the overall global policy framework for addressing the climate change issue and marks the first international political response to climate change. The UNFCCC sets out a framework for action aimed at stabilising atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases to avoid dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system. Parties to the UNFCCC convene annually in a Conference of the Parties (COP), and twice a year in meetings of the subsidiary bodies – the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI) and the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA).
Subsequent to the UNFCCC, nations approved the Kyoto Protocol, which put forward specific
measures to mitigate climate change. The Kyoto protocol, an international and legally binding
agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions worldwide, entered into force on 16 February 2005.
The protocol sets targets for developed countries (annex 1 countries); to reduce their overall emissions of greenhouse gases by an average of 5.2% below 1990 levels from 2008-2012 (the first commitment period). There are currently protracted negotiations for the second commitment period (post 2012).
COP -16 & CMP 6
The Conference of the Parties (COP) is the supreme body of the Convention, that is, its highest decision-making authority. It is an association of all the countries that are Parties to the Convention.
The COP is responsible for keeping international efforts to address climate change on track. It reviews the implementation of the Convention and examines the commitments of Parties in light of the Convention’s objective, new scientific findings and experience gained in implementing climate change policies. To date there has been Fifteenth meetings of the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC.
The United Nations Climate Change Conference is to be held in Cancun, Mexico, from 29 November to 10 December 2010. The Conference encompasses the Sixteenth Conference of the Parties (COP-16) and the Sixth Conference of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP-6), as well as the Thirty-Third sessions of both the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI) and the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA), and the Fifteenth Session of the AWG-KP and Thirteenth session of the AWG-LCA. The meetings will be preceded by the inauguration of the high-level segment that will take place on Tuesday, 7 to 10 December 2010.
The Republic of South Africa will be participating in the United Nations Conference on Climate Change, 29 November to 10 December 2010. A national delegation comprising of officials from the Departments of Environmental Affairs; Science and Technology; International Relations and Cooperation; Energy; Health, Transport, Local Municipalities, and Academia's will attend. The Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs will lead South African delegation.
