Climate Change Convention
On November 28, 2011 the United Nation’s Climate Change Convention will take place in Durban, South Africa. This convention will bring together the very best minds in the climate change industry as well as representatives from world governments. This year there are many key climate change bills that could shape many environmental protocols in many countries around the world.
One of the key points of the 2011 United Nation’s Climate Change Convention, also known as COP 17, is the total implementation of the Kyoto Protocol that was agreed upon at the 1997 UNCCCF in Kyoto, Japan. This now famous protocol called for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from 37 different countries from 2008-2012. This year
‘s Convention will review the numbers and projected emission status of the 37 countries to see if the protocol implementations are being met. As of now, the United States is the only one of the 37 targeted countries to not have implemented the Kyoto Protocol.
Another key point of this year’s convention is the discussion of the Bali Action Plan. This plan was agreed upon at COP 13 in Bali, Indonesia. The Bali Action Plan is broken into five parts to help with implementation. These five categories are: shared vision, mitigation, adaptation, technology and financing. All five categories were to be implemented at COP 15 in Copenhagen, Denmark and would bring the world governments to a shared upon set of goals to help curb environmental hazards.
The other main point of discussion at this year’s COP is the review of the Cancun Agreements from COP 16. The Cancun Agreements set a goal for governments for the calendar year 2011. This year’s COP will need to review and discuss the compiled data and decide if another Agreement needs to be implemented for 2012. Some of the highlights of the Cancun Agreements are: The establishment of a Green Climate Fund, Forest Management Reference Levels as well as the Cancun Adaption Framework which established different goals and projected outcomes for third-world and developing countries.