Lesson 8 Scientific Collaboration on Climate Change
Completion requirements
International Agreements
How have governments and the international community been involved in climate change?
- describe the role of the IPCC
- describe the role of UNFCCC
- describe the Kyoto Protocol, and say why Canada withdrew from it.
- Give the goal of the Paris agreement
D8.5 Governments working together
Governments around the world are starting to see the dangers of climate change and are coming together to do what they can to prevent it. Since the 1980s, two main international bodies have been formed to lead the way on climate change research:
the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Governments have been asked to participate in three agreements to try to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of their
countries. You will read about the Montreal Protocol in your textbook, but we will not focus on it here as this agreement has been completed. We will study the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement, reviewing Canada’s participation in each.
The IPCC is an organization formed in 1988 that collects and shares data and information around climate change. It is a group of scientists who were brought together by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Environment
Program (UNEP) to gather and analyze information related to climate change and then report that information back to governing bodies.
The IPCC was the first group to link climate change to the increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, and it continues to lead the way in climate change research.
The information provided in the reports from the IPCC provides the background knowledge needed for governments to develop climate-related polices as well as all international agreements related to climate change. These reports are made public, so anyone can read them.
For more information on the IPCC or to read any of the reports they have created, please go to the IPCC website. https://www.ipcc.ch/
The information provided in the reports from the IPCC provides the background knowledge needed for governments to develop climate-related polices as well as all international agreements related to climate change. These reports are made public, so anyone can read them.
For more information on the IPCC or to read any of the reports they have created, please go to the IPCC website. https://www.ipcc.ch/
Take Notes
Make sure you take notes on your readings to study from later. You should focus on the purpose of the IPCC. Remember, if you have any questions or you do not understand
something, ask your teacher!
D8.7 UNFCCC Logo
The UNFCCC is an agreement between 197 nations of the world to work toward stabilizing greenhouse gas emissions caused by human activity. This organization does not plan how to stabilize greenhouse gases; instead it lays out the
process for making international agreements that outline how to stabilize greenhouse gases. The UNFCCC created the Montreal Protocol, the Kyoto Protocol, and the Paris Agreement.
When nations entered the UNFCCC, part of the agreement signed was to ensure any action taken must
When nations entered the UNFCCC, part of the agreement signed was to ensure any action taken must
- not threaten global food production
- not threaten the economic interests of any nation
- support sustainable development
Read This
Please read pages 421 and 422 in your Science 10 textbook. Make sure you take notes on your readings to study from later. You should focus on the Montreal Protocol
as a historical agreement and the key element of the UNFCCC. Remember, if you have any questions or you do not understand something, ask your teacher!
© Canuckguy and Danlaycock, via Wikimedia Commons
D8.8 Status of countries within the Kyoto Protocol
D8.8 Status of countries within the Kyoto Protocol
The Kyoto Protocol is an international agreement created from the UNFCCC that gives the nations involved emission reduction targets. This agreement was signed in 1997 by 160 countries. These countries agreed to set a goal of a 5% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2012, using the levels from 1990 as a baseline. In December 2012, an amendment was made to the Kyoto Protocol creating a second goal ending in 2020 asking the countries involved to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 18% below the 1990 levels. This amendment also revised the list of greenhouse gases to be reported. Different countries are involved in each of the two goals; Canada was only involved in the first goal, and we did not reach the goal.
The Kyoto Protocol placed higher goals on developed or industrialized countries. This agreement stated developed countries are mostly responsible for the current high levels of greenhouse gases, as they have been producing these gases for over 150 years. Many countries, including Canada, felt this was unfair, as developing countries are currently releasing more greenhouse gases than developed countries. Because of this idea, Canada was given a goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 6% below 1990 levels by 2012. Canada pulled out of the Kyoto Protocol in 2011, stating we were unable to meet this goal and it would cost us too much money to purchase the emission-reduction credits needed to meet the goal. Our government felt the money could be better spent on other Canadian priorities, including environmental protection. The following statement was made by the government at the time, outlining Canada’s problems with the Kyoto Protocol:
“From an environmental perspective, the Kyoto Protocol has not served the international community well in meeting the real challenges of global climate change or effectively engaging all major economies. The Protocol only covers countries
responsible for a small, and increasingly smaller, percentage of global emissions and, as a consequence, is not an effective vehicle for addressing the global challenge of climate change. Importantly for Canada, the United States, which
is Canada’s biggest economic trading partner and is responsible for nearly 20% of global emissions, is not covered by the Kyoto Protocol.
These issues have led Canada to focus its efforts on the development of a fairer and more comprehensive global agreement based on the Copenhagen Accord, the Cancun Agreements and the Durban Platform. This includes implementing domestic measures toward achieving Canada’s GHG emissions reduction commitments.”
– December 15, 2011, Government of Canada
These issues have led Canada to focus its efforts on the development of a fairer and more comprehensive global agreement based on the Copenhagen Accord, the Cancun Agreements and the Durban Platform. This includes implementing domestic measures toward achieving Canada’s GHG emissions reduction commitments.”
– December 15, 2011, Government of Canada
Read This
Please read pages 422 to 424 in your Science 10 textbook. Make sure you take notes on your readings to study from later. You should focus on the key elements of the Kyoto Protocol and its problems. Remember, if you have any questions or you do not understand something, ask your teacher!
The Paris Agreement is the first agreement created from the UNFCCC where all 197 nations are involved. Once each country has signed the agreement, the leader of each country needs to take the agreement back to the government in their country.
Once government accepts the agreement, it has been ratified. As of December 2017, 171 of the 197 countries have ratified the Paris Agreement.
The goal of the Paris Agreement is to keep the global temperature rise this century below 2 ËšC, and, if possible, make efforts toward keeping the temperature rise below 1.5ËšC. Recall that the current prediction is the global temperature will raise 2 to 6 ËšC this century. The agreement also aims to help countries deal with the impacts of climate change. The agreement includes appropriate financial resources and technology to help developing and vulnerable countries reach their goals.
The goal of the Paris Agreement is to keep the global temperature rise this century below 2 ËšC, and, if possible, make efforts toward keeping the temperature rise below 1.5ËšC. Recall that the current prediction is the global temperature will raise 2 to 6 ËšC this century. The agreement also aims to help countries deal with the impacts of climate change. The agreement includes appropriate financial resources and technology to help developing and vulnerable countries reach their goals.
Other important elements of the Paris Agreement include the following:
- Each country is expected to put forward its best efforts by creating nationally determined contributions (NDCs), and these efforts are expected to increase each year.
- Countries are to meet every five years to report on their progress and create new NDCs.
- Countries aim to reach a peak of greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible; after the peak is reached, greenhouse gas emissions should only get smaller.
- Countries should conserve and, if possible, grow, carbon sinks.
- The agreement aims to help countries adapt to climate change through support and international cooperation.
- The agreement states developed countries should be helping and supporting developing nations reach these goals through the voluntary donation of finances and resources.
- Countries should be educating their population on climate change, making sure the public is aware of the information around climate change.
As of the end of 2017, Canada is still part of the Paris Agreement; however, we are lagging behind in our goals. According to UN Environment, Canada’s existing targets are too low and we do not have the policies in place to even meet
the targets we have made. If Canada and the other countries involved in the Paris Agreement do not meet the goals needed, there is no hope of keeping the global increase in temperature to below 2 ËšC this century. The Canadian government
says they are working toward the targets they have come forward with.
D8.10 Parliament of Canada in Ottawa
Take Notes
Make sure you take notes on your readings to study from later. You should focus on the key parts of the Paris Agreement and Canada’s status within it. Remember,
if you have any questions or you do not understand something, ask your teacher! Digging Deeper
D8.11 People around the world
In 2015, a group of youths filed a constitutional climate lawsuit against the US government. Their complaint is that the government failed to protect essential public trust resources and that through the government’s actions that cause climate change, the government has violated the youngest generation’s constitutional rights to life, liberty, and property. The case is still ongoing. Go to the following link for more information about this court case.
Practice Questions
Complete the following practice questions to check your understanding of the concept you just learned. Make sure you write complete answers to the practice questions in your notes. After you have checked your answers, make corrections to your responses (where necessary) to study from.- What are the two international organizations around climate change? How do they differ from the agreements?
The two international organizations are the IPCC and the UNFCCC. These organizations differ from the agreements because they are not action plans; they provide data and information around climate change (the IPCC) and a process for creating agreements (the UNFCCC).
- What are the two international agreements outlined in the course? What is Canada’s status in each?
The two international agreements are the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement. The Montreal Protocol is also outlined in the textbook. Canada has completed the Montreal Protocol, left the Kyoto Protocol as it did not meet the goals, and is currently still part of the Paris Agreement. Canada is lagging behind in our goals for the Paris Agreement, though.