COP stands for ‘Conference of the Parties.’ The annual meeting of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is also referred to as COP. 198 signatory nations of UNFCCC from around the world gather at COP every year to review existing commitments and negotiate further action in the global challenge that is climate change. A key task is to monitor each country’s progress toward its individual target.
Background
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was adopted in 1992 at the UN Rio ‘Earth Summit’. It has been ratified by 198 States (including the UK) and the EU, which constitute the ‘Parties’ to the Convention. The objective of the Treaty is to ‘stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system’. Every year a Conference of the Parties takes place (known as COPs).
Role of COP in Tackling Climate Change
COP, an annual gathering of nations committed to addressing environmental challenges, plays a pivotal role in shaping policies and agreements aimed at mitigating the impacts of climate change. To comprehend the significance of COP in the fight against climate change, it is essential to reflect on the resolutions adopted in previous conferences particularly COP26 and COP27. COP26 held in Glasgow in 2021 marked a milestone in climate action. The Glasgow Climate Pact emerged as a highlight, encompassing commitments from countries to enhance their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and limiting global warming to well below 2 Degrees Celsius.
Building on the momentum of COP26, COP27, held in 2022, further emphasized the need for swift and decisive action. A notable resolution from COP27 was the establishment of a global fund to support climate adaptation in the most vulnerable regions. One specific example of an area under immediate threat is the low-lying island nation of Tuvalu. COP27 highlighted the vulnerabilities faced by Tuvalu due to sea-level rise, making it imperative for the international community to channel resources into adaptation strategies for such regions. This resolution underscores the principle of climate justice, emphasizing the responsibility of developed nations in supporting those most affected by climate change.
Significant agreement
- Kyoto Protocol: Kyoto Protocol, international treaty, named for the Japanese city in which it was adopted in December 1997, aimed to reduce the emission of gases that contribute to global warming. In force since 2005, the protocol called for reducing the emission of six greenhouse gases in 41 countries plus the European Union to 5.2 percent below 1990 levels during the ‘commitment period’ 2008-2012.
- Green Climate Fund (GCF): To assist the developing world in their development process an agreement was reached in COP15 arranged in Denmark (Copenhagen) in 2009. The fund was formally established during the 2010 United Nations Climate Change Conference as a fund within the UNFCCC framework.
- The Paris Agreement: The Paris Agreement is a legally binding international treaty on climate change. It was adopted by 196 Parties at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP21) in Paris, France, on 12 December 2015. It entered into force on 4 November 2016. Its overarching goal is to hold ‘the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels’ and pursue efforts ‘to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre- industrial levels.’
New Promises in COP28
In a demonstration of global cooperation, negotiators from nearly 200 countries and regimes for the first time recognized the need to transition away from fossil fuels. UN chief António Guterres emphasized that the era of fossil fuels must end with justice and equity. ‘Developing countries must be supported every step of the way,’ he said in his statement on the closing of COP28.
- Global Stocktake : As set out in the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement, COP28 marked a historic milestone by conducting the first Global Stocktake (GST), a comprehensive assessment that evaluates the progress made by nations towards their climate goals. The GST, viewed as the key output of COP28, encompasses all aspects that were subject to negotiation and can now serve as a foundation for countries to enhance climate action plans, which are due by 2025.
- Fossil Fuels: The latest Global Carbon Budget Report, launched on Day 6, suggests that global fossil carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in the year 2023 are set to hit a record high of 36.8 billion tonnes, an increase of 1.1% relative to 2022 levels and 1.4% above pre-pandemic levels. Paired with emissions deriving from land-use change-such as deforestation – global CO2 emissions will likely reach 40.9 billion tonnes. Against this backdrop, several new pledges and alliances on fossil fuels dominated the first week of the summit.
Nine new countries – including the US, COP’s host UAE, Czech Republic, Kosovo, Cyprus, Norway, the Dominican Republic and Iceland joined the Powering Past Coal Alliance, a large group of nations, sub- national governments, businesses, and organizations pledging to phase out ‘unabated’ coal power first founded at the Glasgow COP26 two years ago.
- Agriculture and Food Security: The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) launched a Global Roadmap to 1.5°C, the first of its kind for food systems. It sets out targets and timelines for ten areas where immediate action is required, including livestock, soil and water, and food loss and waste.
- Loss and Damage Fund: On the opening day of COP28, delegates from nearly 200 countries approved a framework for the Loss and Damage Fund instituted at COP27 to help developing countries deal with the harm stoked by global warming. The framework, brought forward last month by the 24-member Transitional Committee (TC), a board tasked with the operationalization of the fund, contains recommendations on how the fund would operate, including who would get the money, and who would pay.
- Climate Finance: Rich nations are facing immense pressure to restore trust with developing countries due to their failure to meet the $100 billion per year target on time. Indeed, on ‘long-term finance’, the final agreement ‘notes with deep regret’ that the $100 billion target- agreed upon in 2011 at COP15 – was not met in 2021, and it ‘looks forward to further info’ on delivery in 2022. Last month, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) said that preliminary data indicate that the goal ‘looks likely to have already been met as of 2022. Moreover, recent data shows that rich nations are also not on track to double adaptation finance from 2019 levels by 2025.
COP29: An Outlook
Following days of delicate negotiations, delegates selected the city of Baku, Azerbaijan’s capital, to be the host of next year’s climate talks. Under UN rules, it was Eastern Europe’s turn to take over the COP presidency, though a unanimous vote was required. Following Russia’s veto on all EU countries, delegates were left with just a few options, though not all cities on the list had the money and infrastructure needed to host a conference. While Azerbaijan and Armenia were initially vetoing each other, the latter eventually retracted its bid and backed Azerbaijan.
আরো পড়ুন :
অনুচ্ছেদ রচনা | |
আন্তর্জাতিক বিষয়াবলী | |
ইংরেজি ভাষা ও সাহিত্য | |
ইসলাম ধর্ম | |
ইসলামের ইতিহাস ও সংস্কৃতি | |
এইচএসসি | |
এসএসসি | |
ওয়েব ডিজাইন | |
কম্পিউটার ও তথ্য প্রযুক্তি | |
কারেন্ট অ্যাফেয়ার্স | |
গ্রন্থ-সমালোচনা | |
চাকরি-বাকরি | |
জীবনযাপন | |
জীববিজ্ঞান | |
জেলা পরিচিতি | |
টিপস | |
দেশ পরিচিতি | |
তথ্য যোগাযোগ ও প্রযুক্তি | |
নৈতিকতা মূল্যবোধ ও সুশাসন | |
পদার্থ বিজ্ঞান | |
পিডিএফ ডাউনলোড | |
পৌরনীতি ও নাগরিকতা | |
প্রতিষ্ঠান পরিচিতি | |
প্রবন্ধ আলোচনা | |
প্রশ্ন সমাধান | |
ফিন্যান্স ও ব্যাংকিং | |
বাংলা ভাষা ও সাহিত্য | |
বাংলা ভাষার ব্যাকরণ ও নির্মিতি | |
বাংলা রচনা সম্ভার | |
বাংলাদেশ ও বিশ্ব পরিচয় | |
বাংলাদেশ বিষয়াবলী | |
বিসিএস প্রস্তুতি | |
ভাইভা প্রস্তুতি | |
ভাবসম্প্রসারণ | |
ভূগোল পরিবেশ ও দুর্যোগ ব্যবস্থাপনা | |
লেখক পরিচিতি | |
সাধারণ জ্ঞান | |
সাধারন বিজ্ঞান | |
সামাজিক বিজ্ঞান | |
স্বাস্থ্য টিপস |
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