INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS UNIVERSITY

SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING

Climate Change and Environmental Management (ICE0417)

An assignment submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for

the BA Degree in Environmental Management System

Student details
Name: Purity Nanyangwe
SIN: 2104301360
Lecturer’s Name: Mr. Njobvu
Year: 3rd Year (Fifth semester)
Due Date: 28th October, 2023
 INTRODUCTION
Climate Change has come to be recognized as one of the most critical challenges ever to face
human-kind. The impacts range from sea level rise, melting ice caps and glaciers, along with
increased incidences of drought and flooding. Whilst mitigating climate change needs to be
financed, so does adapting its inevitable effects. These effects will be felt the most by those least
responsible for them (people in developing countries). Since climate change is a global problem,
it needs a global response that embraces the interests and needs of all countries. Since taking
effect in 1994, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has
been crucial in addressing climate change and the need for a reduction of emissions of
greenhouse gases. The ultimate objective of the Convention, which has near-universal
membership, is to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would
prevent dangerous human interference with the climate system (UNFCCC, 2007).

Parties met for the first time in February 1991 and adopted the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 1992. The ultimate objective of the Convention is
to stabilize atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases at a level that will prevent dangerous
interference with the climate system. The new Convention was opened for signature at the
United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (or Earth Summit) in Rio de
Janeiro in June 1992 and entered into force in 1994. The Convention had been joined by 191
States and the European Community. This almost worldwide membership makes the Convention
one of the most universally supported of all international environmental agreements (Nordhaus
W.D, 1994).

DISCUSSION

According to Warren J. et al (1996), Parties to the UNFCCC are expected to “take precautionary
measures to anticipate, prevent or minimize the causes of climate change and mitigate its adverse
effects” (Article 3.3). Parties have “common but differentiated responsibilities” based on their
national circumstances (Articles 3.1 and 4.1). Each Party is committed to:

 Gathering and sharing information on GHG emissions, national policies and best
practices;
  Formulating strategies for addressing GHG emissions and adapting to the expected
impacts;
 Cooperating in preparing for adaptation to the impact of climate change.

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) aims to address the
threat of anthropogenic (human induced) climate change at an international level. It came into
force in 1994 and has been ratified by 192 countries. The framework seeks the “stabilization of
GHG concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic
interference with the climate system” (Article 2 of the Convention). The Conference of the
Parties (COP) is the highest decision-making authority of the Convention (Sanchez A. B et al,
2009).

However, IPCC (2007) outlines that UNFCCC has the following aims and provisions:

 Climate change mitigation measures.

 Provisions for developing and transferring environmentally friendly technologies.
 Provisions for sustainably managing carbon ‘sinks’ (a general term for forests and other
ecosystems that can remove more greenhouse gases from the atmosphere than they emit).
 Preparations to adapt to climate change.
 Plans to engage in climate research, observation of the global climate system and
information exchange.
 Plans to promote education, training and public awareness relating to climate change.

Its Kyoto protocol

When they adopted the Convention, governments knew that its commitments would not be
sufficient to seriously tackle climate change. At COP 1 (Berlin, March/April 1995), in a decision
known as the Berlin Mandate, Parties therefore launched a new round of talks to decide on
stronger and more detailed commitments for industrialized countries. After two and a half years
of intense negotiations, the Kyoto Protocol was adopted at COP 3 in Kyoto, Japan, on 11
December 1997. The Convention continues to serve as the main focus for intergovernmental
action to combat climate change. It also remains the basis for critical work on reporting, finance,
technology transfer and other fundamental issues that form the backbone of the climate change
process (Duncan. B et al, 1999).
Importance to developing countries

According to Cline W.R (1992), the Marrakesh Accords call on non-Annex I Parties to declare
their needs and priorities, and on Annex II Parties to report on activities they set up to support
them. The UNFCCC and its Kyoto protocol are important to developing countries as they serve
the following purposes:

 Promoting investment for economic diversification.

 Developing and transferring more climate-friendly technologies, including non-energy
uses of fossil fuels, advanced fossil fuel technologies and carbon capture or storage.
 Expanding the use of climate-friendly energy sources such as natural gas or biofuels.
 Capacity-building.

Consultative Group of Experts (CGE)

Clark. D (2011) describes a consultative Group of Experts (CGE) as the main channel for the
provision of technical assistance and support to developing country Parties in fulfilling their
reporting requirements in relation to measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV) under the
Convention and the enhanced transparency framework (ETF) under Article 13 of the Paris
Agreement. This includes inter alia, facilitating the provision of technical advice and support to
developing country Parties to prepare their national communications and biennial transparency
reports, and providing technical advice to the secretariat on the implementation of the training of
technical expert review teams.

The UNFCCC Climate Action and Support Transparency Training (UNFCCC-CASTT)

According to Clarke. L et al (2014), the UNFCCC Climate Action and Support Transparency
Training (UNFCCC-CASTT) is a capacity-building programme designed to cater to stakeholders
at all levels of competencies within national climate governance and implementation.

1. UNFCCC-GIR-CASTT Programme on greenhouse gas inventories

2. Blended training, combining online and in-person programs, on enhanced transparency
framework
3. Adaptation Academy on vulnerability and adaptation assessment
 Green House Gas (GHG) Support Unit of the Transparency Division

According to King. D et al (2011), the GHG Support Unit of the Transparency Division performs
the following main functions aimed at assisting developing countries:

 Supporting, through in-country quality assurance (QA) activities and regional training
workshops, the establishment and maintenance of sustainable national GHG inventory
management systems in developing countries;
 Building, through regional training workshops and online training and certification programme,
the technical capacity of developing countries' national experts on GHG inventory related issues;
 Facilitating the submission by developing countries of high-quality national GHG inventory
reports that meet the reporting requirements under the Convention and the Paris Agreement.

Importance to developed countries

Furthermore, Linden et al (1999) states the importance of the UNFCCC and its Kyoto protocol to
developed countries.

 Promoting renewable energy: The UNFCCC promotes the use of energy that has the
ability to replenish itself faster than it is consumed because it has more benefits to the
environment.
 Favouring sustainable agriculture: Sustainable agriculture ensures the use of sustainable
methods of farming that ensure that there is proper usage of land so that future
generations can also benefit from it.
 Recovering methane emissions through waste management: When waste is well
managed, the amount of methane emitted is less.
 Enhancing energy efficiency.
 Encouraging reforms in relevant sectors to reduce emissions.
 Removing subsidies and other market distortions.
 Protecting and enhancing greenhouse gas sinks.
 Reducing transport sector emissions.
 CONCLUSION

It is important that policy-makers support continuous collection of data and the establishment of
monitoring programs. Taking no actions, delaying them becomes a decision in itself, with costs
multiplied in terms of future natural disasters such as an increase in cyclones and droughts, flood
damages from storm surges, and a variety of other potential hazards resulting from climate
change and sea level rise. In order that our immediate needs of programmes are supported by the
international community, the initial national communications needs to be endorsed by the RMI
government and before it is submitted to the UNFCCC Secretariat (Stern. N, 2006).

REFERENCES

UNFCCC (2007) Uniting on Climate change: A guide to the Climate Change Convention and
Kyoto Protocol, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Bonn.
Nordhaus W.D (1994). Managing the Global Commons. MIT Press. Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Sanchez A. B et al (2009). The social and decent work dimensions of a new Agreement on
Climate Change. International Labour Office Policy Integration Department.

Warren J. et al (1996). Steps in Preparing Climate Change Action Plans: A Handbook.

Washington DC, USA.

IPCC (2007). Climate Change 2007: Mitigation of Climate Change. Working Group III
Contribution to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change.

Duncan. B et al (1999). The Kyoto Protocol: A Guide and Assessment .Earthscan, London.

Cline W.R (1992). The Economics of Global Warming. Washington: Institute for International
Economics.

Clarke. L et al (2014). Baseline emissions projections from fossil fuels and industry (pp.17-18 of
final draft)

King. D et al. (July 2011). "Copenhagen and Cancun", International climate change
negotiations: Key lessons and next steps. Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment,
University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.

Linden et al (1999). Potential and Cost of Clean Development Mechanism Options in the Energy
Sector: Inventory of Options in Non-Annex I Countries to Reduce GHG Emissions.

Stern, N. (2006), Stern review on the economics of climate change, United Kingdom Treasury,
London.