Climate change – way forward

By GODFRIED ANGI
IN the last articles we discussed what climate change is, what causes it and its impacts on humanity and general environmental quality.
What has come clear to us over the years based on scientific studies and research is that climate change is driven by the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere by anthropogenic/human activities related to industrial development.
So now the global efforts are to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. The global catchphrase today is: Greenhouse gases reduction.
With increasing scientific data and studies, scientists begin to understand what was happening with the global climatic system and why there were increase occurrences and intensities of global disasters that was bringing so much destruction to humanity and the environment. So these scientific data and studies analysis revealed that due to increase release of greenhouse gases was creating that imbalance in the global weather patterns resulting in all those issues.
When these pieces of information became available, the global community lead by scientific institutions had to find ways to address these issues.
In the quest to find ways and means to deal with climate change issues, the United Nations developed what is now known as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Changes (UNFCCC). UNFCCC is the global instrument that was formulated and was opened for global community/countries signatures at the Rio Earth Summit in 1992. UNFCCC was developed to deal specifically with climate change related issues.
RIO Earth Summit
The Rio Earth Summit was held in 1992 and UNFCCC is a Rio Convention as it is one of the two opened for signatures at the summit. The other Rio Conventions are the UN Convention on Biological Diversity and the Convention to Combat Desertification. These conventions are linked and a Joint Liaison Group was established to boost cooperation among them with the ultimate aim of developing synergies in their activities on issues of mutual concern.
The UNFCCC Secretariat was also established in 1992, the same year the UNFCCC was adopted by country members. The original Secretariat was based in Geneva but since 1996, it has been moved to Bonn, Germany, its current location today.
UNFCCC Secretariat
The UNFCCC Secretariat employs around 450 staff who come from over 100 countries and represent a blend of diverse cultures, gender and professional backgrounds. The executive secretary is Patricia Espinosa who is the head of the secretariat whose tenure has lapsed in July 2022.The Secretary-General of the United Nations designated Ibrahim Thiaw to be the acting executive secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), effective July 17, 2022. Simon Stiell of Grenada was appointed as the next secretariat executive secretary on Aug 15, 2022.
Every effort and undertaking to deal with climate change issues are all addressed within the canopy of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. There are also other efforts to have complementary provisions such as the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement. The UNFCCC has a Secretariat and other subsidiary bodies but the most important subsidiary group is the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCCC). IPCCC is staffed by scientists who does researches and studies relating to climate change, provide reports and advice to the Secretariat on the climate change issues.
Climate change issues touche every fabric of global societies as it impinges on social issues, economic issues and general wellbeing of human societies. Generally, many climate change solutions can deliver economic benefits while improving our lives and protecting the environment. There are global  frameworks and agreements available to guide progress, such as the Sustainuare required: cutting emissions, mitigating climate impacts, adapting to climate impacts and financing required adjustments.
Role of secretariat
In the early years, the UNFCCC Secretariat focused largely on facilitating the intergovernmental climate change negotiations but the secretariat today supports a complex architecture of bodies that serve to advan

ce the implementation of the Convention, the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement. The secretariat provides technical expertise and assists in the analysis and review of climate change information reported by Parties and in the implementation of the Kyoto mechanisms. It also maintains the registry for Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) established under the Paris Agreement, a key aspect of implementation of the Paris Agreement.
The secretariat also organises and supports between two and four negotiating sessions each year. The largest and most important is the Conference of the Parties (COP), held annually and hosted in different locations around the globe.
It is the largest annual United Nations conference, attended on average by around 25,000 participants. In addition to these major conferences, the secretariat organises annual sessions of the so-called subsidiary bodies as well as a large number of meetings and workshops throughout the year.
Wide range of actors
In recent years, the secretariat also supports the Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action, agreed by governments to signal that successful climate action requires strong support from a wide range of actors, including regions, cities, business, investors and all parts of civil society.
At UN Climate Change Conferences, a large number of events demonstrate how non-party stakeholders are working with governments and the UN system to implement the Paris Agreement. In addition, the secretariat co-organizes regional climate weeks.
The important events aim to drive forward Paris Agreement implementation at the regional level and to build new climate action partnerships.
Throughout the year, the secretariat strives to keep all stakeholders informed of on the negotiating process and climate action through a variety of communication products, including the website and social media. Around one million people visit the UN Climate Change website every year, and the secretariat’s social media accounts, including on Twitter, Facebook,  Instagram, and LinkedIn have a combined following of around 1.8 million people.
In the next article we will further discuss UNFCCC and its undertakings

Godfried Angi is principal scientist at Yeyue Environmental Services