COP-21, Conference of Parties on Climate Change: Resurrection from Lima to Paris

Abstract

Although the prime focus of climate policy had been to reduce fossil fuel consumption and subsequent emission, substantial cuts in carbon dioxide (CO2) emission alone was not enough to abate climate change. It had been initiated during Kyoto Convention in the 1990s and carried forward at Copenhagen Accord, Lima, Conference of Parties (COPs) and the most recent COP 21 at Paris. One of the most important outcomes of Kyoto Protocol had been consensus of signatory nations barring couple of major economies on agreement to initiate Clean Development Mechanisms and Emission Trading. The reason for such protocol was because of high degree of environmental degradation all over reflecting negatively on environmental and human health. The issue of global warming owing to alarming levels of green house gases was again on anvil in the other meetings. The levels of CO2, NOx, methane and others reflected grave ecological and health consequences. To top it all, climate change became one of the major issues of the twenty-first century. Earth's mean global temperature rose by 0.6 ± 0.2°C during the second half of the twentieth century, at a rate of 0.17°C/decade. If the present trend continues, a drastic increase in global temperature is projected by the end of the twenty-first century with rise in sea level and accelerated meltdown of polar ice sheets. The paper attempts to sum up policy framework under United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and other international agreements emphasising the deliberations of COP 21 on climate change.