UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change)

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is a foundational international treaty adopted at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, with the objective of preventing “dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system.” It provides the principal platform for global climate governance and negotiation. As of 2025, the Convention has 198 parties and oversees key mechanisms such as the Paris Agreement (2015), which aims to limit global temperature rise to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels, while pursuing efforts to stay below 1.5°C. The UNFCCC Secretariat organizes the annual Conferences of the Parties (COPs), crucial convenings where nations assess progress and negotiate on pressing issues including mitigation, adaptation, climate finance, and loss and damage (UNFCCC, 2015).