In 1997, the third Conference of the Parties (COP3) created a protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC); the protocol was signed in Kyoto, Japan. The Kyoto protocol, as it came to be known, was created with the aim of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Kyoto Protocol as topic of discussion at COP17 in Durban
Thirty-seven countries agreed to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions at the COP3 meeting, and 141 countries had approved the agreement by 2005. The Kyoto protocol is set to be a major topic of discussion at the COP17 in Durban as some wealthy, developed nations would like to see developing nations commit more to cutting emissions.

When the Kyoto Protocol was first created, developing nations were not required to have caps on their emissions. Many developing nations have become some of the top emitters of greenhouse gases. The battle between wealthier developed nations and poorer developing nations over cutting emissions is expected to take center stage at the convention.

At the United Nations’ meeting on climate change in Durban, there will also be discussions about funding for the Green Climate Fund. The purpose of the fund is to help developing nations deal with the effects of climate change. The draft for the Green Climate Fund has been completed, and many hope that the Green Climate Fund will be finalized at the convention in Durban. The Green Climate Fund is set to begin operations in 2013.

Scientists and others have been increasingly concerned about the effects of GHG emissions, which has led to this treaty being enacted. However, the guidelines involved were simply suggestions and have not been enforceable.

The Kyoto Protocol:
Adopted in December, 1997, the Kyoto Protocol builds on the United Nations Framework Convention treaty but carries it further by setting specific targets requiring 37 industrialized nations and the European community to meet in reducing their emissions over the period of 2008 to 2012. Since developed nations have been primarily responsible for the atmospheric impact of their industrial activity, the Protocol placed a heavier burden on them to reduce their GHG emissions.

Cancun Mexico:
Another step toward emissions control was taken last week in Cancun, Mexico, where the annual UNFCCC conference was held. One of the high points of the conference that found much support was agreement on REDD+, which involves the avoidance of tropical deforestation. However little movement was made on the issue of the gap between the emissions limitations pledged by the member nations and the actual limitations employed. But one other positive outcome of this conference was the support to create the Green Climate Fund to help developing nations put the brakes on their own GHG emissions.

Much more work is needed yet to deal with the climate change issue and not much time is left in which to do it.

United Nations says: temperatures will rise

The United Nations says that the earth has already warmed by more than 0.6 degrees centigrade over the last century, and that even at the lowest predicted levels of warming, temperatures will rise by more than double that over the next hundred years. While precise climate change facts are hard to pin down, many people around the world say they can see that mother earth is already feeling the impact.

Extinction follows Climate Change

As polar ice caps melt, sea levels are rising and will continue to do so, inundating lowlands and destroying cooler habitats around the planet. Meanwhile, patterns of precipitation are expected to change, with some areas getting far wetter while others become drier – leading to the extinction of plants and creatures unable to cope with their changing circumstances. The United Nations (UN) predicts that up to a quarter of all mammals and more than one in ten birds could become extinct over the next few decades – a huge loss to the diverse population of mother earth.

We have to take action to safe Mother Earth

As for humans, climate scientists say we too will suffer, as fiercer storms and more flooding hit coastal areas – a potential disaster for the billions who live there. We’ll also face an increasing shortage of drinking water, as the seas rise, flooding freshwater supplies. Global warming could severely disrupt food supplies, as previously fertile lands dry out or are flooded. What’s more, scientists warn, warmer temperatures will help diseases such as malaria spread, with potentially devastating effects. While the accuracy of many such climate change facts may be hard to test, scientists and campaigners say their warnings are a call for all of us to take action.