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1995 Cop1, Berlin
Environmental worries have been creeping up the political agenda since the UN organised the first Earth Summit in 1972. After forming the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 1988, the first COP, or Conference of the Parties, was a result of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), coming into force. Negotiations began for what would be known as the Kyoto Protocol, with what is now 198 parties agreeing to meet every year.
1997 Cop3, Kyoto
This COP created, for the first time, an agreement on binding targets for the reduction of seven greenhouse gas emissions by 37 industrialised countries by an average of 5.2 per cent between 2008 and 2012, based on 1990 levels. No restrictions were placed on developing countries, and a system of international emission trading, also known as carbon trading was introduced. It would take another seven years to come into effect, with several countries resisting, notably the US, Australia, and Canada, which later withdrew.
2005 Cop11, Montreal
Montreal saw the start of the Kyoto Protocol coming into force after being ratified by at least 55 countries. accounting for over half of CO2 emissions in 1990. Discussions focused on the technical aspect of implementing Koyoto, while an action plan saw negotiations begin to extend the life of the Protocol beyond 2012 and deeper cuts in greenhouse gas emissions. However, non-binding talks about further reducing emissions involving all parties were accepted.
2010 Cop16, Cancun
The previous COP, in Copenhagen, had ended in rancour and disagreement. At Cancun, in Mexico, governments finally put aside the issues that had led to deadlock in the past. COP16 formalised the agreements set out the previous year and finally accepted a target of limiting temperature rises to 2ºC based on pre-industrial levels. For many, the biggest achievement of Cancun was demonstrating that negotiations through the UN could still produce real results.
2015 Cop22, Paris
This is regarded as a breakthrough gathering, with the Paris Agreement replacing Kyoto and 194 countries, plus the EU, accepting a legally binding treaty to submit climate action plans known as nationally determined contributions (NDC) by 2020. Coming into force a year later, the treaty covered all aspects of climate change, including mitigation, adapting to the effects, and funding. The target of keeping temperature increases to under two per cent, and ideally, 1.5 per cent, became a goal, along with a commitment to net zero by the middle of the century.
2021 Cop26, Glasgow
Delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic, the Glasgow COP finally agreed on the Paris rule book, with the signing of the Glasgow Climate Pact, designed to turn the 2020s into a decade of decisive climate action. It was agreed to reduce the gap in emission reduction plans which would limit the global average rise in temperature to 1.5 degrees. For the first time countries were urged to stop using coal-fired power stations and end inefficient subsidies on fossil fuels. It was accepted that carbon emissions would have to fall by 45 per cent by 2030 if the 1.5 per cent goal was to be reached.
2022 Cop27, Sharm El Sheikh
The war in Ukraine and the resulting global energy crisis focused minds in Egypt, although a proposal to expand the phasing out of coal to include oil and gas was defeated. The most significant achievement was an agreement to create a Loss and Damage Fund, to support vulnerable countries in the developing world most affected by climate change. How much money would be in the fund was another matter. As the UN Environment Program put it “no decisions have been made on who should pay into the fund, where this money will come from and which countries will benefit”.
2023 Cop28, Dubai
Over 200 governments have been invited to the global summit at Expo City Dubai. Developing the Loss and Damage Fund will be one of the priorities of the first meeting in the UAE, along with a comprehensive Global stock take that will look at climate targets and the prospects of meeting the 1.5ºC temperature rise target in what is said by Nasa to be the hottest year on record. It will take an inventory of progress towards the goals of Paris and COP22, and seek to fast track progress towards sources of clean energy to meet the targets of 2030.
