International Climate Change Law

Abstract

Abstract This introductory chapter outlines the scope and development of international climate change law which addresses the unique nature of climate change and its complexities. The twentieth century saw the international community identifying and recognizing climate change as a global problem. Drawing from the basic tenets of international environmental law, the United Nations established two international legal frameworks that form the backbone of the international climate change regime—the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and the Kyoto Protocol. The UNFCCC, as a framework instrument, sets the parameters for global discourse and provides an essential forum for dialogue and decision-making on climate change matters. It is extended and complimented by the Kyoto Protocol, which sets out legally binding emission reduction obligations for developed country parties, provides for a series of market-based mitigation tools, and generally adds further contour to the legal framework established under the UNFCCC.