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    Unfccc Report

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
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    Download as pdf
    102 views16 pages

    Unfccc Report

    Uploaded by

    freedom1001
    Unfccc Report

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
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    of 16
    302 Cononeas 2d Session SENATE ee 102-85 UNITED NATIONS FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE crousn (legislative day, Serresanen 50), 1992.—Ondered tebe printed Mr, Patt, from the Committee on Foreign Relations, submitted the following REPORT {Fo accompany Trenty Doe. 100-88) Ths, Committee on Foreign Relations to which was referred the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, edopt- 9, 1992, by the Resumed Fifth Session of the Intergovern- ent al N ‘Committee for a Framework Convention on Fs icgrwention"), and signed ow behalf of the United State at the Inited Nations Conference on Environment and ‘yelopment (UNED) in Rio de Janeiro on June 12, 1992, hat the same, reports favorably thereon without am and recommends that the Senate give ite advice and’ consent to ratification thereof. ‘The purpose of tho Convention is to establish a global framework for assessing and responding to climate change. IL, Mason Provisions ‘The objective of the Convention is to stabilize greenhouse gax concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that woulé prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system. 2 ithin this context, the Convention stipulates that this level Misti “bo sclavod tin @ Binttane siden: o aloe come tems to adapt naturally to climate change, to ensure that food pro. ietion is not threntened, and to, enable sconce development to proceed in @ sustainable manner.” To this end, the Convention es- Esblishes framework for addressing climate change issues rath differentiated obligations among developed countries, developed countries with economies in transition (Bastern Buropean countries and the newly independent states of the former Union of Sovist So- ciglist Republica, developing countries, and least developed coun: ee The Convention applies to all house gases, except those con- tzolled by the Montreal Protocal on Substances that Deplete the ‘Ozone Layer, such as chiorofluorocarbons and halons. “The Convention sommite all parties to develop and make avail able national inventories ‘of anthropogenic ermtsione. by’ sourgas ‘nd removals by sinks ofall greenhouse gazes. Developed counties ‘must submit this report within € months of the Convention's entry into force, developing countries rust do so within years of entry into force, and least developed countries may do so at their discre- tion, The reports are expected to contribute to the development of ‘ational plans to mitigate and adapt to climate change and more Accurate Rudy of greenhouse gos envsaions, fain. de Coeenton coma parte to frmulate in. meni, and publish national or regional program to miigaié mate change. Article 4.2. of the Convention requires developed country" parties including Bastern- European countries and te newly independent statoe, to adopt policise and plement moa. ures to mitigate climate ‘change by" Limiting. emisders Of geese houe eres and onhancing sible ‘and reserolre, The provison noles that returning to earlier levols of greenhouse ges Canine ty eral the decade woul contribute to madi he lenge term trends in anthropogenic emissions consistent with the objec lof the Govention ticle 4.2b establishes an additional reporting requirement for woloped country parties, including those with economies in tran. Sitio, reauiring them to teport on nationel jplcien and asia, pursuant article 4.2.a, and on th -ojected im these measures on net emissions up to the end of ire geonee wit the ai of returning these emai fo the 1980 levels Ths in is in the reporting section of article 43 and ie not ing. 2arlred panty pat are report within te fares of Oe avention’s entry into force and peviodically thereattes, ‘The, Convention commits developed country parties excluding the Eastern European countries and the “newly independent sate to abril devlopcg sountey paris in meeting corti ti the treaty. The Convention commits these partics to vide new and additional fi vresou cone tional financi Foes to meet the agreed developing countries in preparing thelr national it~ ng spurecr and yoneral Sern ota ill take to implement the Convention. It is ex- inancial obligation will be met both through bilat- lateral assistance channels. The administration e&ti ‘mates that the total cost for preparing these studies will be on the a order of $100 million, The United States has committed $28 million for this purpooe aver a 2-year period beginning in fical year 1998, ‘in addition, the developed scuntries commit to provide financial resources needed by developing countries to meet the agreed full incremental corts of implementing mecaures in article 4{-~includ- ing formulation of national and regional plans to reduce emlasions and enhenco sinks, promotion of sustainable management plans for the impacs of ciate changer ibet are naeed Rengets den liog ‘imate chango—that are agreed between developing countries and the financial mechanism defined in the Convention ‘The Convention defines a financial mechanism to provide finan: cial resources on o grant or concessional basis. The mechanism will fanction under the guidancs of and be accountable to the Conf ence of the Parties hich shall decide ot oll, program srities, and eligilty eriteria related to. the Convention. the Global! Environment” Facility—a joint enterprise of the World Banke, the United Nations Development Prograny and the United Nations Environment Programme-—ie designated as the interna Sonal mechaniam on an interim basie. (The OOF ie designated as the “interim methanism beestuse it currently a Syear pilot pro- gram and because the parties | details of ongoing Festructuring efforts. If as expected, the CE is continued, i would key come the permanent nancial mechan fr the Conven- on, "The Convention also establishes an institutional structure for im- plementing i, proviina in addon tp the financial mechani Jast dese “fuprerae body” of the treaty is the Conference of the Parties, which reviews the implementation of the Conven- tion ‘and adopix measures to promote effective implementation. A secretariat in established to provide administrative euppart to the Conference of the Parties. A gubsidiary body for eclentiffe and techy ological advice fs established to provide the Confererca of the Far. ties with information and advies on scientific and. technological ‘alters. The main body for eclntifc and tachaical assesemente on glimate change tere wl continue fo be fhe IPCC. The uber {ody will act's a lisison between the IPCC, the World Meteoralogt- al Organization and other related climate research organiaations and the Conference of the Parties. A subsidiary body for implemen tation is eotablished to anviot the Conference of tho Partice in ae ind reviewing the implementation of the Convention, Ne the two nubatdiary bodies, nor the Secretarial, have doot sionmaking power, this reste with the Conference of the Parties, “The Convention provides for periodic review of evolving scientific information on ebmate change and of measures taken to implo- iment the Convention. It allows parties to negotiate modifications ot Siional comment, tothe extent ey doom thom nestesry spproprs "The Couvention defers e number of issues to be resolved by the Conference of the Parties in its fir meting, ‘These include: rules of procedure which tout be adopted by coneenss, methodologies for” calculating national” inventories of groeahouse gas. soUrees, sta and reve nthology or amesing te pact of de loped country parties plans to reduce bet greenhouse gas emis: woek'G Gacchakibe for promoting research afd data collection on 4 climate change; and o host of institutional iaaues such as the size fia repeeventalion on the bodies erented by the Convention, 111. Bacuerounn ‘THE SCIENCE, A variety of factors affect the Earth's climate by altering ita ra aiaive balgnce which fs the balance between incoming solar ati alo un st ced Ther stars ead the cena of preeninouad” guses in the atmosphere: the intensity of incident sine radiation the amount of pardculate material she Barts Stiraperes and te Barth's reflectivity, including clouds, ‘These factors can vary over swdely different tine sles, For i- stance, during & period of 10,000 to 100,000 years, changes in the Ears orbit alter the intensity of solar racigtion reabhing th Earth with eonsequent implications for climate. Voleanie eruptions Can cause wide, albeit, shortlved, fluctuations in the atmoepberic concentration of wore tie scent ration of grwenhoes” gaes alto ate inet y the Barth's climate. Tose gaaco—ater vapor, carbon di (CO,), methane (CRs, nitrous oxide (NOx, chlorefvorocaroone {GPC and ovsne (0s)—are more transparent to incident sole: t= diation than they are fo outgoing infrared radition or heat, At a fesult they trap heat in o similar, but not identienl, fashion a8 @ freenbouse, Without thie naturally ooverring greenhouse effect, fre-Barth's average temperature ould be yproninataly 25C (GHP colder than ie is and considerably less hospitable to fe Since the industrial revolution, human activities have increased the concentration of greenhouse foses in tre mosphere, Tals does bot include water vapor the congentration of which io determined By the climate sysiom fcelf and, na gobal cea, i not dire alfected by human activity. (Emissions of greentouse gases © By"human activity are commonly’ refered to as eahropogenic hips 2200 the aumogrters constant Sen tran $88 parts per milion by volume {ppn), roughly 25 peret {enter tha tho 1.70 level roughly 260 ppv ene’ wae ioerear fig at roughly 0. percent per years Over the sane period, mecsan

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