Convention | Year of establishment | Purpose | Important Points to Remember |
Ramsar Convention | 1971 | - For the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands.
| - Known as Waterfowl convention.
- India is part of it.
- There are currently 27 Ramsar sites in India.
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Stockholm Declaration | 1972 | - For International protection of the environment.
| - UNEP was the result of it.
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Convention on International Trade in Endangered species of Wild Flora and fauna (CITES) | 1973 | - Control or prevent international commercial trade in endangered species or products derived from them.
| - Known as Washington Convention.
- Legally binding.
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Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) | 1979 | - Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals.
| - Also, known as the Bonn Convention.
- It is under the aegis of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
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Nairobi Declaration | 1982 | - For achieving sustainable developments.
| - The 10th anniversary of Stockholm.
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Vienna convention | 1985 | - For the protection of the ozone layer
| - It does not include legally binding reduction goals.
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Montreal Protocol | 1987 | - To control Ozone-depleting Substances
| - It is a protocol to the Vienna Convention for the Protection of Ozone Layer.
- Universal treaty (Ratified by all UN countries).
- Legally binding.
- Target only ozone-depleting substances (Not GHG i.e. Hydro Fluorocarbons).
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Brundtland Report | 1987 | | - To give the concept of "sustainable development".
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Earth Summit/ United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED)/ Rio Declaration | 1992 | - Environment conservation & Development
| - It had 27 principles.
- Three legally binding agreements were opened for signature:
(i) CBD (ii) UNFCC (iii) UNCCD |
Agenda 21 | 1992 | | - It is a product of Earth Summit, 1992.
- Agenda 21 refers to the 21st Century.
- Non-binding.
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UNFCCC | 1992 | - Reducing greenhouse gas emissions to combat global warming.
| - Environmental treaty produced at the Earth Summit, 1992.
- Secretariat: Bonn, Germany
- Legally non-binding.
- Kyoto Protocol was negotiated under this framework.
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Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) | 1992 | Three main goals: - Conservation of biological diversity (or biodiversity).
- Sustainable use of its components.
- Sharing the benefits of genetic resources fairly and equitably.
| - Legally binding.
- The USA has signed but not ratified.
- The two protocols to CBD are:
(a) Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, 2000 (b) Nagoya Protocol (Biodiversity Accord), 2010 |
UNCCD | 1994 | - Convention to Combat Desertification
| - Headquarter: Bonn, Germany
- Only convention that came out from direct recommendations of Rio Agenda 21.
- Legally Binding.
- Canada withdrew.
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Kyoto Protocol (COP 3) | 1997 | - To fight global warming by reducing greenhouse gas concentrations.
| - Negotiated under UNFCC.
- Came into force in 2005.
- Binding targets to Annex I countries.
- Mechanisms under protocol:
(a) Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) (b) Emission Trading (c) Joint Implementation (JI) - This protocol applies to follow GHGs (Annex A):
(a) Carbon Dioxide (CO2) (b) Methane (CH4) (c) Nitrous Oxide (NO2) (d) Sulphur Hexafluoride (SF6) (e) Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) (f) Perfluorocarbons (PFCs) - The Protocol is based on the principle of shared (Common) but differentiated responsibilities.
- It places the obligation on developed countries to reduce current emissions on the basis that they are historically responsible for the current levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
- Annex I countries: industrialized countries and economies in transition.
- Annex II countries: developed countries which pay for costs of developing countries.
- Non-Annex I countries: Developing countries.
- India is Non-Annex party to UNFCC.
- There are two commitment periods:
(i) 2008 – 2012 (ii) 2013 – 2020 Note: The second commitment period was agreed on in 2012, known as the Doha Amendment to the protocol. |
Rotterdam Convention | 1998 | - Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous chemicals and pesticides in International Trade.
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Cartagena Protocol | 2000 | | - Protecting biological diversity from potential risks posed by living modified organisms resulting from modern biotechnology.
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Stockholm Convention | 2001 | - Eliminate or restrict the production and use of persistent organic pollutants.
| - UN Treaty.
- The US is not a party to this treaty.
- Intergovernmental Forum on Chemical Safety (IFCS) and the International Programme for Chemical Safety (IPCS) prepared a list, known as the Dirty Dozen.
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REDD & REDD+ | 2005 | - Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries.
| - Negotiated under UNFCC since 2005.
- UN-REDD was launched in 2008. India did not participate in it.
- REDDD+ (Defined in Bali Action Plan, 2007, CoP13)
- REDD+ extends to:
(a) Sustainable Forest Management. (b) Conservation of Forests. (c) Enhancement of carbon sinks. |
Nagoya Protocol | 2010 | - Access to genetic resources and a fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from their use of the Convention on Biological Diversity.
| - It is a supplementary agreement to the CBD.
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Rio+20 | 2012 | - Conference on Sustainable Development
| - 20th Anniversary of Rio Earth Summit 1992.
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Paris Agreement (COP 21) | 2015 | | - It will come into force by 2020.
- Not legally binding.
Aims: - This century, global temperature rises well below 2 degrees Celsius above circa-industrial level.
- Pursue efforts to limit the temperature upsurge even further to 5 degrees Celsius.
Indian NDCs - Greenhouse gas emissions per unit of GDP- by 33 to 35 per cent below 2005 levels by the year 2030.
- By 2030, 40 per cent of its energy would be generated from non-fossil fuels.
- Increase its forest cover to create an additional carbon sink equivalent to 2.5 to 3 billion tons of carbon dioxide by 2030.
Note: Recently the US has withdrawn from it. |
Kigali Amendment | 2016 | - Reduce Ozone Layer Depletion
| - It amends the 1987 Montreal Protocol.
- Its aims to reduce Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) by roughly 80-85 Percent by late 2045.
- It will be binding on member countries from 2019.
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