|
Science, People & Politics, Issue Four October - December, 2015. ISSN 1751-598X (online)
Page 1 (text continues from the contents page)
_________________
2° above pre-industrial levels, and aim for a rise below 1.5° above pre-industrial levels.
From the 1992 United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC)
"Acknowledging that change in the Earth's climate and its adverse
effects are a common concern of humankind,"
"Concerned that human activities have been substantially increasing
the atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases, ..."
"...and that this will result on average in an additional warming of the Earth's surface and atmosphere and may adversely affect natural ecosystems and humankind,..."
"Determined to protect the climate system for present and future generations"
ENTRY INTO FORCE OF THE PARIS AGREEMENT
On the thirtieth day "after the date" on which at least 55 parties to the United
Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), representing
countries producing a minimum of 55 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions
(GHG), have deposited their legal instruments of ratification, agreement,
acceptance or accession, the Paris Agreement to fight climate change, reached in
December 2015, enters into force. See article 21 (1). In the context of the date of entry into force, GHG means the most up to date value of global GHG on or before the Parties to the UNFCCC adopt the Paris Agreement: see article 21 (2).
A spokesperson for the UNFCCC says that the document to be signed, and which
constitutes the Paris Agreement, is the annex at the end of this document, found at
the following link. http://unfccc.int/resource/docs/2015/cop21/eng/l09r01.pdf
Accessed 3rd February, 2016. References to articles and subsections in the
following story all come from the annex, unless it is the UNFCCC which is referred to.
Capacity building and transparency in support of mutual trust and confidence
building figure high in the Paris Agreement. Both are slated within the Agreement to
be discussed at the first "working meeting" set up under its terms [Capacity building
see article 11 (5). Transparency see article 13 (13)]. Within the Paris Agreement
there are a number of other items identified, which legally must form the agenda of
the first session meeting after the Paris Agreement comes into force.
The Committee of the Parties (COP) are themselves, of course, the supreme body
of the UNFCCC, established under Convention Article 7. They are also the supreme
body of the Paris Agreement, though it is possible not all parties to the UNFCCC will
______________________________________________ Go to page 2
Page 1
|