United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is the international environmental treaty that establishes the foundations for global action against climate change. Adopted in 1992 at the Rio de Janeiro Earth Summit and in force since 21 March 1994, it brings together 198 Parties (virtually every country in the world).

Objectives and principles of the UNFCCC

The Convention's main objective is to "stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that prevents dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system". To achieve this, it rests on several key principles:

• Precautionary principle: the lack of absolute scientific certainty should not be an excuse to postpone climate change mitigation measures.
• Common but differentiated responsibilities: developed countries, bearing greater historical responsibility, must lead emissions reductions and support developing nations.
• Right to sustainable development: all countries have the right to develop in an economically and socially just, yet environmentally sustainable manner.

Structure and functioning

The UNFCCC has an institutional structure that facilitates international cooperation:

• Conference of the Parties (COP): the supreme decision-making body, comprising all countries that have ratified the Convention. It meets annually to review its implementation and negotiate new agreements.
• Subsidiary bodies: the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) and the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI), which provide technical and practical support to the COP.
• Secretariat: headquartered in Bonn (Germany), it provides administrative and logistical support to the Convention.

The Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement

Two major international climate agreements stem from the UNFCCC:

• Kyoto Protocol (1997): established legally binding emission reduction targets for developed countries; its second commitment period concluded in 2020.
• Paris Agreement (2015): aims to keep the increase in global average temperature well below 2°C, with efforts to limit it to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. Each country submits its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), which must be progressively more ambitious.

The process is not without tensions: some countries have modified their participation over time (for example, the United States, which has entered and exited the Paris Agreement at different points), affecting the pace of global climate action.

Importance of the UNFCCC for the carbon footprint

The UNFCCC provides the international framework for measuring and reporting greenhouse gas emissions, with standardised methodologies that ensure consistency and comparability across countries. Standards such as the GHG Protocol draw on these principles to help companies calculate and manage their emissions.

The Convention also establishes monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) mechanisms: countries submit periodic reports on their emissions and progress, which are subject to technical expert review, reinforcing transparency and accountability.

At Manglai we help companies measure their carbon footprint and prepare their sustainability information using methodologies aligned with the international framework. Discover how Manglai can help you.