CLIMATE CHANGE

UNCFFF
Introduction
Just what is climate? Climate is commonly thought of as the expected weather
conditions at a given location over time. People know when they go to New York
City in winter, they should take a coat. When they visit the Pacific Northwest, they
take an umbrella. Climate can be measured at many geographic scales—for example,
cities, countries, or the entire globe—by such statistics as average temperatures,
average number of rainy days, and the frequency of droughts 1. Climate change refers
to changes in these statistics over years, decades, or even centuries while global
warming is viewed as an overall warming of the planet based on average temperature
over the entire surface2.

The UNFCCC (United Nations Convention on Climate Change) is an

agreement that was finally universally accepted as an international political
commitment to climate change at the United Conference on Environment and
Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, June 1992 Until now, the number
of UNFCCC members is 192 countries. The UNFCCC aims to stabilize GHG
concentrations in the atmosphere, to the extent that they do not endanger the life of
the organism and allow for the adaptation of ecosystems, so as to guarantee food
availability and sustainable development3.

Institutions that play a role in the UNFCCC:

1. Conference of the Parties (COP)

2. Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA).

3. Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI).

4. Convention Secretariat

5. Global Environment Facility (GEF)

6. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)

Conference of Parties (COP), which acts as a 'supreme body' and the highest
authority in making decisions on the Convention on Climate Change, is an annual

1
Grinning planet. 2007. www.grinningplanet.com/2007/01-02/global-warming-vs-climate-chang.html.
retrieved from the internet march, 2019.
2
Different between. 2012. www.differentbetween.com/different-between-climate-change-and-
global-warming/ retrieved from the internet march,2019.
3
Angelsen, A dan Atmedja S. Melangkah Maju dengan REDD; Isu, Pilihan dan Implikasi. 2010. CIFOR.
Bogor. Indonesia
meeting that gathers all parties (parties) of the convention members. The COP is
responsible for reviewing the implementation of conventions and other legal
instruments related to the convention. In addition, the COP is obliged to make
decisions needed to improve the effectiveness of the convention implementation.

In the third COP held in Kyoto in 1997, the conference produced a

consensus in the form of a decision to adopt a protocol that is the basis for
industrialized countries to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, which consist of
carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4 ), nitrogen oxides (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons
(HFC), perfluorocarbons (PFC) and sulfur hexaflouride (SF6), their combinations are
at least 5% of the emission level of 1990 ahead of the 2008-2012 period. The protocol
is designed to regulate quantitative targets for emission reductions and the target for
reducing emissions for developed countries.

The Kyoto Protocol is an amendment to the UNFCCC UN Framework

Convention on climate change, an international agreement on global warming. The
Kyoto Protocol consists of 28 articles and 2 attachments. The Kyoto Protocol is a
legal agreement where developed countries / industries will collectively reduce their
GHG emissions by 5%. Protocol Kyot states that Annex I countries at the climate
change convention must reduce emissions through domestic policies and measures.

Literature Review
Climate change can cause impacts such as species extinction and the
displacement, decrease or loss of habitats, which may lead to the deterioration of
biodiversity and ecosystem services.
As changes in ecosystems and ecosystem services affect many kinds of industries,
such as agriculture, forests/forestry, fisheries and tourism, as well as the water
environment and water resources, the life of citizenry and urban life, it is important to
conserve biodiversity in order to reduce impacts on society as a whole.
Climate change is, by definition, detected when a statistically significant variation in
mean climate, or in its variability, persists for an extended period (typically 30 years)4
the climate system is a complex, interactive system consisting of the atmosphere, land
surface, snow and ice, oceans and other bodies of water, and living things. The
atmospheric component of the climate system most obviously characterizes climate;
climate is often defined as ‘average weather’. Climate is usually described in terms of
the mean and variability of temperature, precipitation and wind over a period of time,
ranging from months to millions of years (the classical period is 30 years) 5 and

4
Medani P Bhandari, “Climate change science: a historical outline” Ologi Press, February 08, 2018
5
Kriesel, K. (1968). Montesquieu: Possibilistic Political Geographer. Annals of the Association of
American Geographers, 58(3), 557-574. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/2561806
Climate is generally defined as average weather, and as such, climate change and
weather are intertwined.6
Observations can show that there have been changes in weather, and it is the statistics
of changes in weather over time that identifies climate change. While weather and
climate are closely related, there are important differences.7

Causes of Climate Change

The earth's climate is dynamic and always changing through a natural cycle. What the
world is more worried about is that the changes that are occurring today have been
speeded up because of man's activities. These changes are being studied by scientists
all over the world who are finding evidence from tree rings, pollen samples, ice cores,
and sea sediments. There is a broad consensus amongst scientists that greenhouse
gases released through human activity are the main factor causing climate change.
The causes of climate change can be divided broadly into two categories - those that
are due to natural causes and those that are created by man.8
1. Natural Causes
There are a number of natural factors responsible for climate change. Some of
the more prominent ones are continental drift, variation in the earth orbit,
changes in solar output, and volcanic emissions.9
2. Human Influence
The factors above affect the climate naturally. However, we cannot forget the
influence of humans on our climate. We have been affecting the climate since
we appeared on this earth millions of years ago. In those times, the effect on
the climate was small because of the very low density of population. As the
population increases, more and more land that was covered with vegetation
has been cleared to make way for houses as well as for other uses which badly
affect the composition of atmosphere spatially carbon dioxide and oxygen.
Natural resources are being used extensively for construction, industries,
transport, and consumption. Consumerism has increased by leaps and bounds
due to increase in population to an incredible extent, creating mountains of
waste that ultimately affect the environment.10
The Industrial Revolution, starting at the end of the 19th century, has had a
huge effect on climate. The invention of the motor engine and the increased
burning of Fossil fuels such as oil, coal and natural gas supply most of the
energy needed to run vehicles generate electricity for industries, households,

6
Ibid
7
Ibid
8
Dr Md. Zulfequar Ahmad Khan "Climate Change: Cause & Effect" Journal of Environment and Earth
Science Vol 2, No.4, 2012
9
Ibid
10
Ibid
 etc. The energy sector is responsible for about 3/4 of the carbon dioxide
emissions, 1/5 of the methane emissions and a large quantity of nitrous oxide.
It also produces nitrogen oxides (NO2) and carbon monoxide (CO) which is
not greenhouse gases but do have an influence on the chemical cycles in the
atmosphere that produce or destroy greenhouse gases11.

11
Ibid