Climate change

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Contents

Introduction

Climate change is one of the most critical global challenges of our time. Recent events have emphatically demonstrated our growing vulnerability to climate change. Its impacts will range from affecting agriculture - further endangering food security-, sea-level rise and the accelerated erosion of coastal zones, increasing intensity of disasters, species extinction and the spread of vector-borne diseases. Climate change is expected to reduce already low incomes and increase illness and death rates in many developing countries.


Over the last two decades (1988-2007), 76% of all disaster events were hydrological, meteorological or climatological in nature; these accounted for 45% of the deaths and 79% of the economic losses caused by natural hazards. The likelihood of increased weather extremes in future therefore gives great concern that the number or scale of weather-related disasters will also increase. There is already evidence of increases in extreme conditions for some weather elements in some regions.


For most people, the expression “climate change” means the alteration of the world’s climate that we humans are causing, through fossil fuel burning, clearing forests and other practices that increase the concentration of greenhouse gases (GHG)1 in the atmosphere. This is in line with the official definition by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) that climate change is the change that can be attributed “directly or indirectly to human activity that alters the composition of the global atmosphere and which is in addition to natural climate variability observed over comparable time periods”.


On the other hand, scientists often use the term for any change in the climate, whether arising naturally or from human causes. In particular, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) defines “climate change” as “a change in the state of the climate that can be identified ... by changes in the mean and/or the variability of its properties, and that persists for an extended period, typically decades or longer”.


While both definitions are correct, despite slight differences in scope, one thing is irrefutably clear - climate change and disaster risk reduction are closely linked. More extreme weather events in future are likely to increase the number and scale of disasters, while at the same time, the existing methods and tools of disaster risk reduction provide powerful capacities for adaptation to climate change.


While climate change will affect all countries, the effects of climate change will be differentiated from one region to the next, with people in the poorest countries and poor people in richer countries more likely to suffer the most.


To illustrate, Latin America’s changes in precipitation patterns and the disappearance of glaciers will significantly reduce the amount of water available for human consumption, agriculture and energy generation. In drier areas, climate change is expected to lead to increased salinization and desertification of agricultural land. The productivity of some crops and livestock will decrease, with adverse consequences for food security. Rising sea levels will cause increased risk of flooding in low-lying coastal areas.


North America will experience further decrease of mountain snow due to rising temperatures leading to increased winter flooding and reduced summer flows, and to altered seasonal availability of water. Many areas are expected to experience more, longer and hotter heat waves, with a greater potential for adverse health impacts. Sustained higher temperatures also will increase the risk of forest fires. Coastal communities will be increasingly threatened if the intensity of tropical storms increases.


Africa, small island states, and the Asian and African mega-deltas are likely to be particularly affected by climate change. Small island states, coastal systems and other low-lying areas are especially vulnerable to the effects of climate change, rising sea levels and extreme weather events. Millions of people are likely to be affected by floods, storm surges, erosion and other coastal hazards every year due to rising sea levels by the 2080s, particularly in the large deltas of Asia and Africa and the small island states. By mid-century, reduced water resources are expected in many small islands, e.g., in the Caribbean and Pacific.


It is impossible to be absolutely certain about all the disaster-related effects of climate change, owing to the intrinsic uncertainty in the climate projections, the diverse and rapidly changing nature of community vulnerability, and the random nature of individual extreme events. However, there is plenty of information on the serious impacts of events that have occurred in past decades, and on this basis alone there is much to be concerned about.


The Hyogo Framework for Action specifically identifies the need to “promote the integration of risk reduction associated with existing climate variability and future climate change into strategies for the reduction of disaster risk and adaptation to climate change...”.

(Source:UNISDR 2008)


For more information, see UNISDR Briefing Note on Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction; Geneva, September 2008

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Basic Definitions

  • Adaptation

Adjustment in natural or human systems in response to actual or expected climatic stimuli or their effects, which moderates harm or exploits beneficial opportunities.

Various types of adaptation can be distinguished:

Anticipatory Adaptation — Adaptation that takes place before impacts of climate change are observed. Also referred to as proactive adaptation.
Autonomous Adaptation — Adaptation that does not constitute a conscious response to climatic stimuli but is triggered by ecological changes in natural systems and by market or welfare changes in human systems. Also referred to as spontaneous adaptation.
Planned Adaptation — Adaptation that is the result of a deliberate policy decision, based on an awareness that conditions have changed or are about to change and that action is required to return to, maintain, or achieve a desired state.
Private Adaptation — Adaptation that is initiated and implemented by individuals, households or private companies. Private adaptation is usually in the actor's rational self-interest.
Public Adaptation — Adaptation that is initiated and implemented by governments at all levels. Public adaptation is usually directed at collective needs.
Reactive Adaptation — Adaptation that takes place after impacts of climate change have been observed.

Adaptive Capacity: The ability of a system to adjust to climate change (including climate variability and extremes) to moderate potential damages, to take advantage of opportunities, or to cope with the consequences. (Source: IPCC)


  • Adverse effects of climate change

Changes in the physical environment or biota resulting from climate change which have significant deleterious effects on the composition, resilience or productivity of natural and managed ecosystems or on the operation of socio-economic systems or on human health and welfare. (Source: UNFCC)

  • Climate change

A change of climate which is attributed directly or indirectly to human activity that alters the composition of the global atmosphere and which is in addition to natural climate variability observed over comparable time periods. (Source: UNFCC)

  • Climate Impact Assessment

The practice of identifying and evaluating the detrimental and beneficial consequences of climate change on natural and human systems. (Source: IPCC WG II)

  • Climate system

The totality of the atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere and geosphere and their interactions. (Source: UNFCC)

  • Emissions

The release of greenhouse gases and/or their precursors into the atmosphere over a specified area and period of time. (Source: UNFCC)

  • Greenhouse gases

Those gaseous constituents of the atmosphere, both natural and anthropogenic, that absorb and re-emit infrared radiation. (Source: UNFCC)

  • Risk

Function of probability and magnitude of different impacts. (Source: IPCC)

  • Vulnerability

The degree to which a system is susceptible to, and unable to cope with, adverse effects of climate change, including climate variability and extremes. Vulnerability is a function of the character, magnitude, and rate of climate change and variation to which a system is exposed, its sensitivity and its adaptive capacity. (Source: IPCC)

  • Mitigation

Mitigation is a human measure to reduce the sources or enhance the sinks of greenhouse gases. (Source: IPCC)


Climate change mitigation measures recognise that the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere will influence the rate and magnitude of climate change. Therefore it is within the capacity of humans to influence their exposure to change. Climate change mitigation measures include energy conservation measures, implementing land use plans, strengthening institutional and legislative mechanisms, energy efficiency measures, waste management, substituting fossil fuels with renewable energy sources and measures in the transport and agricultural sectors, as well as sequestering carbon biologically through reforestation or geo-physically (inside the earth's core). These activities contribute to reducing disaster risk by reducing expected climate change impacts.


See also:

IPCC Glossaries

Background to the international climate change agenda

A brief introduction to where it came from and how it operates

Growing concern that human activities may affect the climate system led to the establishment of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 1988. The Panel assesses scientific, technical and socio-economic information and produces assessments based mainly on peer reviewed and published scientific / technical literature on climate change, its potential impacts and options for adaptation and mitigation. Its first assessment report served as the basis for the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which entered into force in 1994 and now includes 189 countries, known as “Parties” to the Convention.


The UNFCCC is an international treaty to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change “to a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system”. The Convention established an association of all the States that are Parties to the Convention, referred to as the Conference of the Parties (COP), and endowed it with the highest decision-making authority. In the Convention, Parties agreed on the principle of “common but differentiated responsibilities” in achieving this goal. Developed-country Parties also agreed to take the lead in combating climate change and its adverse effects given their greater historical contribution to climate change, their generally higher per capita emissions and their greater financial and technological resources. The Convention established two subsidiary bodies: the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) and the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI) to advise the COP, a secretariat and a financial mechanism.


It soon became clear that the Convention needed to be strengthened through emission limitation targets and associated timetables. At the third session of the COP in Kyoto, Japan, in 1997, Annex-I countries agreed to take binding commitments to reduce their emissions by at least five percent from their 1990 levels. The Kyoto Protocol went into effect in February 2005 and includes a fund for adaptation. The COP, which meets every year, has traditionally focused its efforts on obtaining political agreement and the mechanisms to enable emissions limitations. Since 2000, the agenda to adapt to climate change has gained new importance. COP-10 set up two tracks for adaptation: a) under SBSTA, the development of a structured five-year programme of work on the scientific, technical and socioeconomic aspects of vulnerability and adaptation to climate change and the identification of adaptation needs, and b) under the SBI, the implementation of tangible adaptation activities, technology transfer and capacity building. In 2001, Parties also recognised the specific needs of 48 Least Developed Countries and invited them to prepare National Adaptation Programmes of Action (NAPA), which are designed to convey urgent and immediate adaptation needs – those for which further delay could increase vulnerability or lead to increased costs at a later stage.

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

The IPCC was established in 1988 by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). Its purpose is to assess scientific, technical and socioeconomic information relevant to understanding the risks associated with human-induced climate change, its potential impacts and options for adaptation and mitigation. The IPCC does not undertake new research, nor does it monitor climate-related data, but it conducts assessments on the basis of published and peer-reviewed scientific and technical literature.


The IPCC has three Working Groups:

Working Group I (WG I) addresses the scientific aspects of the climate system and climate change;
Working Group II (WG II) addresses the vulnerability of socioeconomic and natural systems to climate change, impacts of climate change, and adaptation options; and
Working Group III (WG III) addresses options for limiting greenhouse gas emissions an d mitigating climate change.

Each Working Group has two Co-Chairs and six Vice-Chairs. The Co-Chairs guide the Working Groups to fulfill the mandates given to them by the Panel, and are assisted in this task by Technical Support Units (TSUs).


IPCC's Task Force on National Greenhouse Gas Inventories

The Task Force oversees the IPCC National Greenhouse Gas Inventories Programme, which aims to develop and refine an internationally-agreed methodology and software for the calculation and reporting of national greenhouse gas emissions and removals, and to encourage the use of this methodology by countries participating in the IPCC and by parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

IPCC Bureau

The IPCC Bureau is elected by the Panel for the duration of the preparation of an IPCC assessment report (normally 5-6 years). Its role is to assist the IPCC Chair in planning, coordinating and monitoring the work of the IPCC. The Bureau is composed of climate change experts representing all regions. Currently, the Bureau comprises 30 members: the Chair of the IPCC, the two Co-Chairs of each of the three Working Groups and of the Task Force Bureau (TFB), three IPCC Vice-Chairs, and the Vice-Chairs of the three Working Groups. The IPCC Secretariat is located in Geneva, Switzerland, and is hosted by the WMO.


IPCC Reports

Since its inception, the IPCC has prepared a series of comprehensive assessments, special reports and technical papers subject to extensive review by experts and governments, providing scientific information on climate change to the international community, including policymakers and the public. This information has played an important role in framing national and international policies.


The IPCC has so far completed four comprehensive assessments of climate change, each playing a key role in advancing the negotiations under the UNFCCC.

The First Assessment Report was completed in 1990,
the Second Assessment Report in 1995,
the Third Assessment Report in 2001, and
most recently the Fourth Assessment Report (AR4), which was completed in 2007.


In addition to the comprehensive assessments undertaken, the IPCC produces special reports, methodology reports and technical papers, focusing on specific issues related to climate change. Special reports prepared by the IPCC include:

The Regional Impacts of Climate Change: An Assessment of Vulnerability (1997),
Aviation and the Global Atmosphere (1999),
Land Use, Land-use Change and Forestry (2000),
Methodological and Technical Issues in Technology Transfer (2000),
Safeguarding the Ozone Layer and the Global Climate System (2005), and
Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage (2005).


Technical papers have been prepared on Climate Change and Water (2008), Climate Change and Biodiversity (2002), and Implications of Proposed CO2 Emissions Limitations (1997), among others.

IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories

The IPCC also prepares methodology reports or guidelines to assist countries in reporting on greenhouse gases. The IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories were first released in 1994, and a revised set was completed in 1996. Additional Good Practice Guidance reports were approved by the Panel in 2000 and 2003, and a guide with Definitions and Methodological Options to Inventory Emissions from Direct Human-induced Degradation of Forests and Devegetation of other Vegetation Types in 2003. The latest version, the 2006 IPCC Guidelines on National Greenhouse Gas Inventories, was approved by the Panel in 2006.


For all this work, and its contribution to build up and disseminate greater knowledge about man-made climate change, and to lay the foundations that are needed to counteract such change, the IPCC was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, jointly with Al Gore, in December 2007.

28th Session of the IPCC (IPCC-28)

This session was held from 9-10 April 2008 in Budapest, Hungary, with discussions centering on the future of the IPCC, including key aspects of its Work Programme such as Working Group structure, main type and timing of future reports, and the future structure of the IPCC Bureau and the Bureau of the Task Force on National Greenhouse Gas Inventories (TFB). The IPCC agreed to prepare a Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) and to retain the current structure of its Working Groups. In order to enable significant use of new scenarios in the AR5, the Panel requested the Bureau of the Fifth Assessment cycle to ensure delivery of the Working Group I report by early 2013 and complete the other Working Group reports and the Synthesis Report at the earliest feasible date in 2014. The Panel also agreed to prepare a Special Report on Renewable Energy to be completed by 2010.


See also:

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The Convention and the Protocol

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) (UN; 1992), an international treaty that entered into force on March 21, 1994, sets an overall framework for intergovernmental efforts to tackle the challenge posed by climate change. It recognizes that the climate system is a shared resource whose stability can be affected by industrial and other emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. The Convention enjoys near universal membership, with 192 countries having ratified.


Under the Convention, governments:

  • gather and share information on greenhouse gas emissions, national policies and best practices,
  • launch national strategies for addressing greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to expected impacts, including the provision of financial and technological support to developing countries, and
  • cooperate in preparing for adaptation to the impacts of climate change


The Kyoto Protocol was adopted in Kyoto, Japan, on 11 December 1997 and entered into force on 16 February 2005. The detailed rules for the implementation of the Protocol were adopted at COP 7 in Marrakesh in 2001, and are called the “Marrakesh Accords.” The Kyoto Protocol is a legally binding international agreement (ratified by 182 Parties of the Convention to date) linked to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The major feature of the Kyoto Protocol is that it sets binding targets for 37 industrialized countries and the European community for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. These amount to an average of five per cent against 1990 levels over the five-year period 2008-2012.


Recognizing that developed countries are principally responsible for the current high levels of GHG emissions in the atmosphere as a result of more than 150 years of industrial activity, the Protocol places a heavier burden on developed nations under the principle of “common but differentiated responsibilities.”


The major distinction between the Protocol and the Convention is that while the Convention encouraged industrialised countries to stabilize GHG emissions, the Protocol commits them to do so.


(Source: UNFCC Website)


See more:

A scientific and historical point of view - greenhouse gases

Greenhouse gases are gases that trap heat in the atmosphere. Greenhouse gases are necessary to life as we know it, because they keep the planet's surface warmer than it otherwise would be. But, as the concentrations of these gases continue to increase in the atmosphere, the Earth's temperature is climbing above past levels. According to NOAA and NASA data, the Earth's average surface temperature has increased by about 1.2 to 1.4ºF in the last 100 years. The eight warmest years on record (since 1850) have all occurred since 1998, with the warmest year being 2005. Most of the warming in recent decades is very likely the result of human activities. Other aspects of the climate are also changing such as rainfall patterns, snow and ice cover, and sea level.


Greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere will increase during the next century unless greenhouse gas emissions decrease substantially from present levels. Increased greenhouse gas concentrations are very likely to raise the Earth's average temperature, influence precipitation and some storm patterns as well as raise sea levels (IPCC, 2007). The magnitude of these changes, however, is uncertain.


For over the past 200 years, the burning of fossil fuels, such as coal and oil, and deforestation have caused the concentrations of heat-trapping "greenhouse gases" to increase significantly in our atmosphere. These gases prevent heat from escaping to space, somewhat like the glass panels of a greenhouse.


The amount and speed of future climate change will ultimately depend on:

- Whether greenhouse gases and aerosol concentrations increase, stay the same or decrease.
- How strongly features of the climate (e.g. temperature, precipitation and sea level) respond to changes in greenhouse gas and aerosol concentrations.
- How much the climate varies as a result of natural influences (e.g. from volcanic activity and changes in the sun ’s intensity) and its internal variability (referring to random changes in the circulation of the atmosphere and oceans).


If greenhouse gases continue to increase, climate models predict that the average temperature at the Earth's surface could increase from 3.2 to 7.2ºF above 1990 levels by the end of this century. Scientists are certain that human activities are changing the composition of the atmosphere, and that increasing the concentration of greenhouse gases will change the planet's climate. But they are not sure by how much it will change, at what rate it will change, or what the exact effects will be.

Primary source: United States' Environmental Protection Agency

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Some greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide occur naturally and are emitted to the atmosphere through natural processes and human activities. Other greenhouse gases (e.g., fluorinated gases) are created and emitted solely through human activities. The principal greenhouse gases that enter the atmosphere because of human activities are:

Carbon Dioxide (CO2): Carbon dioxide enters the atmosphere through the burning of fossil fuels (oil, natural gas, and coal), solid waste, trees and wood products, and also as a result of other chemical reactions (e.g., manufacture of cement). Carbon dioxide is also removed from the atmosphere (or “sequestered”) when it is absorbed by plants as part of the biological carbon cycle.
Methane (CH4): Methane is emitted during the production and transport of coal, natural gas, and oil. Methane emissions also result from livestock and other agricultural practices and by the decay of organic waste in municipal solid waste landfills.
Nitrous Oxide (N2O): Nitrous oxide is emitted during agricultural and industrial activities, as well as during combustion of fossil fuels and solid waste.
Fluorinated Gases: Hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride are synthetic, powerful greenhouse gases that are emitted from a variety of industrial processes. Fluorinated gases are sometimes used as substitutes for ozone-depleting substances (i.e., CFCs, HCFCs, and halons). These gases are typically emitted in smaller quantities, but because they are potent greenhouse gases, they are sometimes referred to as High Global Warming Potential gases (“High GWP gases”).


Greenhouse Gas Inventories

A greenhouse gas inventory is an accounting of the amount of greenhouse gases emitted to or removed from the atmosphere over a specific period of time (e.g., one year). A greenhouse gas inventory also provides information on the activities that cause emissions and removals, as well as background on the methods used to make the calculations. Policy makers use greenhouse gas inventories to track emission trends, develop strategies and policies and assess progress. Scientists use greenhouse gas inventories as inputs to atmospheric and economic models.

To track the national trend in emissions and removals since 1990, EPA develops the official U.S. greenhouse gas inventory each year. The national greenhouse gas inventory is submitted to the United Nations in accordance with the Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC).

In addition to the U.S. inventory, greenhouse gas emissions can be tracked at the global, state and local levels as well as by companies and individuals:

Many other countries also develop national greenhouse gas inventories, which can be compiled into global inventories. EPA works with developing and transition countries to improve the accuracy and sustainability of their greenhouse gas inventories. EPA has developed Greenhouse Gas Inventory Capacity Building templates and software tools targeting key sources, emissions factors, good practices, institutional infrastructure and use of the latest IPCC guidelines on greenhouse gas inventories.
Many states prepare greenhouse gas inventories, and EPA provides guidance and tools to assist them in their efforts.
Corporate greenhouse gas inventories provide information on the emissions associated with the operations of a company.
Individuals produce greenhouse gas emissions through everyday activities such as driving and using air conditioning or heating. EPA provides an online calculator for estimating personal emissions.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) publishes internationally accepted inventory methodologies that serve as a basis for all greenhouse gas inventories, ensuring that they are comparable and understandable. The 2006 IPCC Guidelines were completed and accepted by the IPCC in May 2006.


Emission Trends & Projections

Estimates of future emissions and removals depend in part on assumptions about changes in underlying human activities. For example, the demand for fossil fuels such as gasoline and coal is expected to increase greatly with the predicted growth of the U.S. and global economies.

The Fourth U.S. Climate Action Report concluded, in assessing current trends, thatcarbon dioxide emissions increased by 20 percent from 1990-2004, while methane and nitrous oxide emissions decreased by 10 percent and 2 percent, respectively. The declines in methane emissions are due to a variety of technological, policy, and agricultural changes, such as increased capture of methane from landfills for energy, reduced emissions from natural gas systems, and declining cattle populations. At least some of the decline in nitrous oxide emissions is due to improved emissions control technologies in cars, trucks, and other mobile sources. (Fourth U.S.Climate Action Report, 2007)

Many, but not all, human sources of greenhouse gas emissions are expected to rise in the future. This growth may be reduced by ongoing efforts to increase the use of newer, cleaner technologies and other measures. Additionally, our everyday choices about such things as commuting, housing, electricity use and recycling can influence the amount of greenhouse gases being emitted.

Initiatives

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) IPCC’s Task Group on Data and Scenario Support for Impact and Climate Analysis (TGICA), Data Distribution Center

The Kyoto Protocol:

This international agreement builds on the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, setting legally binding targets and timetables for cutting the greenhouse-gas emissions of industrialized countries.

Related documents

The ISDR underlines that to reduce the risk of extreme climate events, action is required on twin policies: to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that drive climate change, and to reduce the vulnerability of societies to inevitable climate change impacts.

It promotes the following messages to ensure the integration of disaster risk reduction into current policies as well as in the post-2012 climate change regime:

1. Make adaptation to climate change a fundamental pillar of any post-Kyoto agreement.
2. Ensure that disaster risk reduction and climate risk management are core elements of adaptation to climate change.
3. Establish mechanisms to provide sufficient funding for adaptation to climate change and risk reduction, especially to protect the most vulnerable.
4. Take immediate action to implement adaptation to climate change and risk reduction in vulnerable countries in the period 2008-2012.


Working Group on Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Disaster Reduction - IATF/DR; 2006

For practitioners engaged in disaster risk reduction and policy experts dealing with climate change, the challenge to understand each other can be significant. Clarifying concepts that each discipline deals with is an important step towards determining the terms of future interaction and collaboration. As such, this booklet aims to clarify possible sources of confusion on some of the terms that both communities use and that are particularly important to the conceptual framework of each discipline, while explaining certain points of similar conceptual emphasis.


Report by the World Bank, the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UN/ISDR) and the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR); July, 2008

View full report


This report summarizes the discussions and conclusions of the Oslo Policy Forum on Changing the Way We Develop: Dealing with Disasters and Climate Change, held on February 27-29 2008 in Oslo.


Tearfund; July, 2008


World Bank - SIDA - UN/ISDRF. Stockholm, Sweden; 24 October 2007



Contribution of Working Group I to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (Solomon, S., D. Qin, M. Manning (eds.); IPCC, 2007


World Resources Institute (WRI), 2007



Executive summary: short version / long version

Evidence on the impacts of climate change and the economic costs, through a number of different techniques to assess costs and risks.


Vulnerability and Adaptation Resource Group (VARG), May 2005.

This discussion paper has been reprinted for presentation at the UNFCCC, SB22 Meeting, Bonn 2005. The paper was originally prepared as a contribution to the World Conference on Disaster Reduction (WCDR, Kobe 2005) by Frank Sperling and Francisco Szekely on behalf of the Vulnerability and Adaptation Resource Group (VARG).


UNFCCC. Bonn, Germany; November 2003

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Latin America and the Caribbean

Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

Lima, Peru

18–20 April 2006

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National Reports

Junín, Mendoza, Argentina; 17-19 September 2007 (Published September 2008)
Canada 's Second National Communication to the UNFCC
Canada 's Third National Communication to the UNFCC and GCOS Report
Canada 's Fourth National Communication to the UNFCC (March 2007) / Progress Report (November 2006)
Mexico 's Second National Communication on Climate Change to the UNFCC (July 2001)
Mexico 's Third National Communication on Climate Change to the UNFCC (November 2006)
  • Trinidad and Tobago 's First National Communication on Climate Change to the UNFCC available in hard copy only (November 2001)
  • United States of America 's First National Communication on Climate Change to the UNFCC (Available in hard copy only)
USA's Second National Communication to the UNFCC
USA's Third National Communication to the UNFCC and GCOS Report
USA 's Fourth National Communication on Climate Change to the UNFCC (July 2007)

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National Adaptation Programmes of Action

Haiti 's NAPA (French, December 2006)

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Internet links


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Global Environment Facility (GEF) and GEF implementing agencies

GEF home page
United Nations Environment Programme, Division of Global Environment Facility Coordination (UNEP-GEF)
United Nations Development Programme, Global Environment Facility Unit (UNDP-GEF)
World Bank, Global Environment Facility Program (Worldbank-GEF)
Operational Procedures for the Expedited Financing of National Communications from Non-Annex I Parties

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Selected international organizations and their programmes

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR)
National Communications Support Programme (NCSP/UNDP-UNEP-GEF)
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), climate change theme page
United Nations Division for Sustainable Development, "atmosphere" page
UNEP Collaborating Centre on Energy and Environment (UCCEE)
UNEP Global Resource Information Database (GRID) Arendal, climate change page (Home of the "Vital Climate Graphics")
UNEP GRID Geneva (DEWA/GRID-Geneva is one of UNEP's major centres for data and information management, with a unique, "value-adding" mandate in the handling of global and regional environmental data, which supports the environment assessment and "early-warning" activities of UNEP and its partners.
UNEP Information Unit for Conventions (Web page including, inter alia, a climate change information kit and information on interlinkages between environmental conventions)
UNEP.Net (A central source for substantive work and information resources regarding climate change)
UNEP project formulation, approval, monitoring and evaluation manual (Revised December, 2000)
United Nations Institute for Training and Research, Climate Change Training Programme (UNITAR CC:TRAIN)
Technical Support Unit (TSU) for the IPCC National Greenhouse Gas Inventories Programme (NGGIP)
World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
World Health Organization (WHO), Climate and Health

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UN & international links

Disaster Risk and Climate Change (UN/ISDR)


United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)


The Kyoto Protocol


A Beginner's Guide to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change

This page, hosted by the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Secretariat, provides a beginner's guide to climate change and the convention.


Annex I Country Listings, UNFCCC

Profiles of all the Annex 1 countries (mostly "industrialized" or "developed" countries) that are parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. Includes links to national Web sites on climate change, where available.


Non-Annex 1 Country Listings, UNFCCC

Profiles of all the non-Annex 1 countries (mostly "developing" countries) that are parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. Includes links to national websites on climate change, where available.


Non-Annex I national communications


UNFCCC Greenhouse Gas Inventory Data

In accordance with Articles 4 and 12 of the Convention, and the relevant decisions of the Conference of the Parties, Parties to the Convention submit national greenhouse gas inventories to the Climate Change secretariat. These inventory data are provided in the national communications under the Convention by Annex I and non-Annex I Parties, and in addition Annex I Parties submit annual national greenhouse gas inventories.


UNFCCC National Inventory Submissions

At its eighth session, the Conference of the Parties requested the secretariat to publish on its web site the annual inventory submissions consisting of the national inventory report (NIR) and common reporting format (CRF) of all Parties included in Annex I to the Convention. As well, the secretariat was requested to publish on its site the exact URL addresses of Parties’ web sites where these submissions are located. The NIRs contain detailed descriptive and numerical information and the CRFs contain summary, sectoral and trend tables for all greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and removals, and sectoral background data tables for reporting implied emission factors and activity data.


UNITAR Climate Change Training Program

The United Nations Institute for Training and Research's (UNITAR) Climate Change Programme assists in enhancing or creating regional pools of expertise in the developing world, as well as strengthening the infrastructure for delivering capacity building activities and developing their human resources.


United Nations Development Program National Communications Support Program

The National Communications Support Programme (NCSP) is a UNDP/UNEP joint funded project by the GEF to provide technical assistance to developing countries for the preparation of National Communications. The NCSP is based at the UNDP office in New York. Over its lifetime (2005-2010), the NCSP will provide an integrated package of technical and policy support to enhance capacity in non-Annex I countries.


United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) MDG Carbon Facility

UNDP^s Millenium Development Goals (MDG) Carbon Facility is an innovative financing mechanism designed to direct increased financial flows from the growing international market in carbon emission offsets toward projects that contribute directly to meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in the least developed countries. The Facility will be a unique product in the carbon offsets market, supplying tangible, broad-based sustainable development benefits not usually available through other offset products.


United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on Energy and Environment (UCCEE)

UNDP helps countries strengthen their capacity to address energy and environmental challenges at global, national and community levels, seeking out and sharing best practices, providing innovative policy advice and linking partners through pilot projects that help poor people build sustainable livelihoods.


United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Climate Change Site

As the environmental branch of the United Nations, UNEP's mission is to provide leadership and encourage environmental partnerships by "inspiring, informing, and enabling nations and people to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations." UNEP is concerned about climate change and provides information and research, educational materials, training, and a variety of environmental programs related to climate change issues.


Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)

The IPCC was created jointly by the World Meteorological Organisation and the United Nations Environment Programme in 1988. The IPCC is responsible for compiling and synthesizing the growing body of scientific literature on climate change. The comprehensive assessments of IPCC form the scientific basis for climate change policies.


IPCC National Greenhouse Gas Inventories Programme (IPCC-NGGIP)

The IPCC-NGGIP initiated in 1991 by the IPCC WG I in close collaboration with the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the International Energy Agency (IEA). One of the main objectives of the IPCC-NGGIP is to develop and refine an internationally-agreed methodology and software for the calculation and reporting of national GHG emissions and removals.

Exploring synergies between Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction (ProVention Consortium)


Global Environment Facility (GEF)


United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development


Atmosphere, Climate, and Environment Information Programme, Manchester, UK

Programme supported by the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) to disseminate information on the causes, effects of, and controls on air pollution and climate change, within the framework of national legislation and international discussion.


Center for Global Environmental Research

Sponsored by the National Institute for Environmental Studies, Environment Agency of Japan, the CGER promotes the integration of global environmental research from interdisciplinary, multi-agency, and international perspectives to improve scientific understanding of human impacts on climate. It also provides a basis for developing mitigation and adaptation policies by supporting research, monitoring, and disseminating data.


Global Environment Facility (GEF)

The Global Environment Facility helps developing countries fund projects and programmes that protect the global environment. GEF grants support projects related to biodiversity, climate change, international waters, land degradation, the ozone layer, and persistent organic pollutants.


International Arctic Impact Assessment

An international project of the Arctic Council and the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC), to evaluate and synthesize knowledge on climate variability, climate change, and increased ultraviolet radiation and their consequences.

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Regional links

Americas:

IAI is an intergovernmental organization established to foster increased understanding of global change in North, Central, and South America. Its Web site contains information on past and current research sponsored by IAI, as well as notifications of funding opportunities. IAI promotes research beyond the scope of national programs by sponsoring studies, both biophysical and socioeconomic, based on scientific issues important to the region as a whole.


Caribbean:


Central America:


Latin America:

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Asia & South Pacific:

South Pacific:


Asian-Pacific:

The Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research (APN) is an inter-governmental network for the promotion of global change research and links between science and policy making in the Asia-Pacific region.


Europe:

This site provides links to climate change Web sites of European Union Member States
This site provides information on international climate change negotiations and programs within the European Commission
The European Environment Agency (EEA) works to support sustainable development and to help achieve significant and measurable improvement in Europe's environment by providing information to policy making agents and the public. This Website provides an overview of the European Environmental Ageny's efforts on climate change.

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Country links

Argentina:


The Bahamas:

The Bahamas' Environment, Science and Technology Commission has a section of its site that provides information on climate change in the Bahamas and the Country's involvement in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.


Brazil:


Belize:


Canada:

A portal that links to the two main Canadian initiatives on climate change: Canada's Greenline program provides information on environmental decision making and Natural Resources Canada provides information on climate change mitigation.
Hosted by Health Canada, this page provides links to a number of workshop and conference reports on the connections between climate change and public health.


Chile:

The Republic of Chile's National Commission for the Environment (CONAMA) hosts the National Climate Change Website


Colombia:

The Republic of Colombia's Ministry of the Environment hosts the National Climate Change Website


Costa Rica:


Dominican Republic:


El Salvador:

The Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources (MARN) for El Salvador El Salvador's National Climate Change Website


Guatemala:


Haiti:


Honduras:


Mexico:


Nicaragua:


Panama:


United States of America:

The Climate Change Division (CCD) is EPA's lead on domestic and international climate change policy. Some of the division's main functions include: compiling and reporting the U.S. greenhouse gas inventory under the UNFCCC; managing several non-CO2 voluntary programs such as the Landfill Methane Outreach Program, and the international Methane to Markets Partnership; tracking emerging issues in climate science, impacts, economics and innovative technologies; and supporting U.S. bilateral and multilateral partnerships.


Uruguay:


Venezuela:

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Didactic links

Encyclopedia of the Atmospheric Environment

Written by the Atmosphere, Climate & Environment Information Progamme and supported by the UK's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Encyclopedia of the Atmospheric Environment includes information on a range of atmopsheric issues, including air quality, acid rain, global warming and ozone depletion


US Global Change Research Information Office (GCRIO)


Global Change Master Directory (GCMD)

Information about Earth science, environmental, biosphere, climate, and global change data holdings available to the scientific community throughout the world


Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS)

Agreement for a 10-year (2005-2015) implementation plan for a Global Earth Observation System of Systems, GEOSS, by member countries of the Group on Earth Observations at the Third Observation Summit held in Brussels.


Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE)

A worldwide network of students, teachers, and scientists working together to study and understand the global environment.


Hadley Centre for Climate Prediction and Research, UK

Jointly funded by the United Kingdom Department of the Environment and the UK Meteorological Office to provide for the UK Government an authoritative, up-to-date assessment of both natural and man-made climate change.


Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development's Climate Change, Energy and Transport Website (OECD)

The OECD aims to assist countries to implement effective and efficient policies to address climate change by conducting policy-relevant research and analysis. Mitigation of GHG emissions, adaptation policies, analysis of the connections between sustainability and climate change, and incentives and possible approaches to achieve long-term policy objectives are essential elements of the program.


(Many of the links found here were provided by UNFCC and EPA)

U.S. Resources

USA National Academy of Sciences Board on Atmospheric Sciences and Climate

The Board seeks to advance understanding of the Earth's atmosphere and climate, to help apply this knowledge to benefit the public, and to advise the federal government on issues within the Board's areas of expertise.


USA National Academy of Sciences: A Closer Look at Global Warming

Climate Change Science: An Analysis of Some Key Questions, a new report by a committee of the National Research Council, characterizes the global warming trend over the last 100 years, and examines what may be in store for the 21st century and the extent to which warming may be attributable to human activity.


USA National Academy of Sciences: A Closer Look at Global Warming

Climate Change Science: An Analysis of Some Key Questions, a new report by a committee of the National Research Council, characterizes the global warming trend over the last 100 years, and examines what may be in store for the 21st century and the extent to which warming may be attributable to human activity.


USA's NOAA Climate Program Office

Created in October 2005, the Climate Program Office incorporates the Office of Global Programs, the Arctic Research Office, the Climate Observations and Services Program, and coordinates climate activities across NOAA. The CPO focuses on developing a broader user community for climate products and services, provides a focal point for climate activities within NOAA, leads NOAA climate education and outreach activities, and coordinates international climate activities.


NOAA Educational Materials

The Climate Prediction Center produces educational materials to help people better understand the role of the climate system in our lives and how to use climate forecasts.


NOAA Frequently Asked Questions About Global Warming

This page lists a number of questions commonly addressed to climate scientists, and brief replies (based on IPCC reports and other research) in common, understandable language.


NOAA National Climatic Data Center

NCDC is the world's largest active archive of weather data. NCDC produces numerous climate publications and responds to data requests from all over the world. NCDC operates the World Data Center for Meteorology which is co-located at NCDC in Asheville, North Carolina, and the World Data Center for Paleoclimatology which is located in Boulder, Colorado.


NOAA Office of Global Programs

NOAA's Office of Global Programs sponsors focused scientific research aimed at understanding climate variability and its predictability. Through studies in these areas, researchers coordinate activities that jointly contribute to improved predictions and assessments of climate variability over a continuum of timescales from season to season, year to year, and over the course of a decade and beyond.


NOAA: Climate Change and Our Planet Links to educational climate change resources for young (K-5) and older students.


NOAA: Climate Extremes and Weather Events

Data and other information on hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, and other extreme weather events.


NOAA: Climate Timeline Information Tool

Designed as an online tool allowing users to examine climate change and variability at different time scales, the Climate TimeLine has been developed through a CIRES Innovative Research Grant through the NOAA Paleoclimatology Program which is part of the National Climatic Data Center. The work has been conducted with the assistance of the National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC), located at NOAA's Boulder Laboratory.


NOAA: CLIMGRAPH Educational Graphics on Global Climate Change and the Greenhouse Effect

More than 50 educational graphics in PDF format on climate, greenhouse gases, the greenhouse effect, and climate change.


USA's USDA Global Change Program Office

This U.S. Department of Agriculture Office serves as USDA's focal point for climate change issues and is responsible for coordinating activities with other Federal agencies, interacting with the legislative branch on climate change issues affecting agriculture and forestry, and representing USDA on U.S. delegations to international climate change discussions. The Office ensures that USDA is a source of objective, analytical assessments of the effects of climate change and proposed response strategies.


USGS Teacher Packets on Global Change

Includes lessons and teaching guides on topics in global change


U.S. Climate Change Science Program

The Climate Change Science Program integrates federal research on climate and global change, as sponsored by thirteen federal agencies and overseen by the Office of Science and Technology Policy, the Council on Environmental Quality, the National Economic Council and the Office of Management and Budget.


U.S. Climate Change Technology Program

The mission of the CCTP is to focus R&D activities more effectively on the President's climate change goals, near- and long-term. The CCTP provides a forum for interagency exchange of information on ongoing R&D activities. The CCTP is chartered by the President to review the Federal R&D portfolio and make recommendations. The CCTP's structure provides an opportunity to develop, across the Federal government, a comprehensive, coherent, multi-agency, multi-year R&D program plan for the development of climate change technology, tied to specific climate change goals and objectives.


U.S. Climate Technology Cooperation Gateway

The Gateway provides information to facilitate climate technology cooperation with developing countries and countries in transition. It provides information about U.S.-sponsored climate programs and projects and showcases U.S.-sponsored international climate technology cooperation programs and projects, with a focus on activities undertaken in partnership with developing and transition countries; access to climate technology tools, resources and technical experts; links to ongoing international activities including those under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC); and information on technology market opportunities in developing countries and countries in transition.


U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)

DOE is a leading science and technology agency whose research supports the nation's energy security, national security, environmental quality, and contributes to a better quality of life for all Americans.


U.S. Geological Survey Research Contributions to Climate Change Science

USGS Global Change Research activities strive to achieve a whole-system understanding of the interrelationships among earth surface processes, ecological systems, and human activities. Activities of the program focus on documenting, analyzing, and modeling the character of past and present environments and the geological, biological, hydrological, and geochemical processes involved in environmental change so that future environmental changes and impacts can be anticipated.


U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP)

USGCRP was created as a Presidential Initiative in 1989 and formalized in 1990 by the Global Change Research Act of 1990. USGCRP research is organized around a framework of observing, documenting, understanding, and predicting global change; assessing the consequences of these changes; and producing assessments to synthesize and communicate this body of knowledge.


U.S. National Assessment

To assure that the United States is prepared for future change, the United States Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) initiated a national assessment on the potential consequences of climate variability and change for the nation. The national assessment process aimed to analyze and evaluate what is known about the potential consequences of climate variability and change for the nation, in the context of other pressures on the public, the environment, and the nation's resources. The National Assessment Overview and Foundation Reports were produced by the National Assessment Synthesis Team, an advisory committee chartered under the Federal Advisory Committee Act, and were not subjected to OSTP's Information Quality Act Guidelines. The National Assessment was forwarded to the President and Congress in November 2000 for their consideration.

For kids

EPA Climate Change Kids' Site (USA)

Provides activities, games, and other learning tools for children to learn about climate change


The International Year of the Ocean Home Page for Kids and Educators

At this site, kids can find: activity and coloring books; fact sheets on Climate Change, Coral Reefs, and Endangered Whales (plus many more); how to adopt a buoy; and, how to become an ocean champion and take the ocean pledge. For teachers, there is the Educator's Guide (downloadable) as well as many useful fact sheets.



Related pages

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

Gender in climate change and disaster risk reduction

Upcoming events

Kyoto Protocol Sixth Meeting of the Designated National Authorities (DNA)

27-28 October 2008

Santiago, Chile

For more information, contact UN ECLAC:

Tel: +56-2-210-2000, +56-2-471-2000; fax: +56-2-208-0252, +56-2-208-1946

E-mail: secepal@cepal.org

URL: http://cdm.unfccc.int/DNA/DNAForum/index.html


38th Session of the IPCC Bureau

24-25 November 2008

Geneva, Switzerland

For more information, contact the IPCC Secretariat:

Tel: +41-22-730-8208/84; fax: +41-22-730-8025/13

E-mail: IPCC-Sec@wmo.int

URL: http://www.ipcc.ch/


14th Conference of the Parties to the UNFCC (COP 14) and 4th Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (COP/MOP 4)

1-12 December, 2008

Poznan, Poland

These meetings will coincide with the 29th meetings of the UNFCCs subsidiary bodies and the fourth meeting of the Ad Hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action (AWG-LCA) and the resumed sixth session of the AWG on Further Commitments for Annex I Parties under the Protocol (AWG-KP).

For more information, contact the UNFCCC Secretariat:

Tel: +49-228-815-1000; fax: +49-228-815-1999; e-mail: secretariat@unfccc.int

URL: http://unfccc.int


30th Session of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC-30)

April 2009

Istanbul, Turkey

For more information, contact the IPCC Secretariat:

Tel: +41-22-730-8208; fax: +41-22-730-8025/13

E-mail: IPCC-Sec@wmo.int

URL: http://www.ipcc.ch/

Newsletters and Bulletins

CLIMATE-L.ORG

A knowledgebase of International Climate Change Activities, provided by IISD in cooperation with the UN Chief Executives Board for Coordination (CEB) Secretariat


International Institute for Sustainable Development

IISD Reporting Services' free newsletters and lists for environment and sustainable development policy professionals: Subscribe here

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