From Stockholm to Glasgow: A brief history of climate talks

As the leaders of the world congregate, they may well remember the words of Scottish conservationist, Patrick Geddes, “Think globally; act locally.”

Against the backdrop of the increasing frequency of extreme climate events and record high atmospheric Co2 levels, 197 nations are gathering for the UN Framework Convention on Climate (COP26) meeting in Glasgow, Scotland, in November. The meeting aims to secure greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction commitments to align with net-zero carbon emissions by the middle of the century.

Street artists paint a mural on a wall opposite the COP26 climate summit venue in Glasgow, October 13, 2021 (AFP)

The Stockholm UN Conference on Environment, 1972, began a new era of international cooperation on environmental issues and paved the way for the evolution of the concept of sustainable development and the creation of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Over the next 20 years, concern for the climate crisis gained increasing attention. In 1979, the first international instrument on climate — the Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution — was adopted at the Climate World Conference in Geneva. The Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer followed.

As talks on global warming and depletion of the ozone layer intensified, UNEP and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) set up the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The panel makes comprehensive assessment reports periodically about the state of the scientific, technical and socio-economic aspects of the climate crisis and potential response strategies.

The UN convened the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. At Rio, 197 nations signed the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which has become the foundational international binding treaty on the climate crisis.

In 1997, the Kyoto Protocol, which became international law in 2005, sought to stabilise GHG concentrations at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system. Recognising the principles of “polluter pays” and common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities of countries, the Protocol established the difference between developed and developing countries in their contribution to emissions and set binding targets for 37 industrialised countries and the European Union for reducing GHG emissions to an average of 5% against 1990 levels over five years (2008-2012). China and India were exempted from the requirements of the Protocol as they were not major emitters. The United States (US) Senate did not ratify it.

The Protocol triggered the creation of mechanisms such as emission trading, green development and joint implementation aimed at facilitating the achievement of emission targets and an adaptation fund to finance concrete adaptation projects and programmes in developing countries. During the first commitment period, the parties to Kyoto reduced their emissions by 12.5% well beyond the target of 4.7%.

On the conclusion of the first commitment period of the Protocol (2008-2012), a second commitment period was agreed to in 2012 to extend the agreement to 2020 in the Doha Amendment. The Amendment strengthened quantified emission limitation commitments for developed countries and economies in transition and set the goal of reducing GHG emissions to 18% of 1990 levels, compared to 5% in the first commitment period.

The Paris Agreement on Climate Change charted a new course in the efforts to combat the crisis. It came into force in 2016 and improved upon and replaced the Kyoto Protocol. The core objective is strengthening the global response to the threat of the climate crisis by keeping the rise of global temperature this century well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the rise to 1.5°C. The Agreement also aims at enhancing the ability of countries to deal with the impact of the climate crisis and at making the flow of finances consistent with a low GHG emission pathway. The nationally determined contributions (NDC) of countries are at the heart of the Agreement.

The gloomy probability forecast of limiting the rise of global temperature sets the sombre background to the climate talks at COP26. As the leaders of the world congregate, they may well remember the words of great Scottish planner and conservationist, Patrick Geddes, “Think globally; act locally.”

TKA Nair is former secretary, ministry of environment and forests; former principal secretary and adviser to prime minister Manmohan Singh; and managing trustee, Citizens India Foundation

The views expressed are personal