Transcript Conference of Parties to United Nations Framework Convention for

Conference of Parties to United
Nations Framework Convention
for Climate Change (UNFCCC):
21st Session (COP21)
H.N.K.T.Dulani
Assistant Director
Climate Change Secretariat
Ministry of Mahaweli Development and Environment
United Nation Framework Convention on Climate
Change (UNFCCC)
• Adopted at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in
1992
• The objective of the UNFCCC is the stabilization of
greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere
at a level that would prevent dangerous
anthropogenic interference with the climatic
systems.
• Sri Lanka has ratified the UNFCCC on 23rd
November 1993
Kyoto Protocol (KP)
• The objective of the protocol is annex 1 parties
(Developed Countries) to reduce their collective
emissions of greenhouse gases by at least 5.2% of
the 1990 level by the period 2008 —2012.
• Sri Lanka has ratified the Kyoto Protocol in 3rd September
2002.
• Second Commitment period for KP is from 20132020
COP 21 – Paris Agreement
• Effective from 2020 – signing from 22 April 2016 until
21 April 2017
• Applicable to all parties
• Compliance: 55 countries covering 55% of global
GHG emission should sign
• Main aim:
 to keep a global temperature rise this century
well below 2 °C
 to drive efforts to limit the temperature increase
even further to 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels
COP21: Impact on Sri Lanka
• Submitted Intended Nationally Determined
Contributions(INDCs)
• Mitigation targets according to INDCs
• Stocktaking will be done every five years
• Support – including finance, for nations to build
clean, resilient futures (a goal of at least US$100
billion a year in contributions from developed
countries )
Way forward
• Ratification of the agreement and how it could be
applied provisionally to take fast actions to address
climate change and domestic vulnerabilities
• Agreement recognizes “right to development” and the
need to integrate SDGs to the process.
• Moving away from fossil-fuel burning and towards
renewable energy as much as possible
• Tapping possible climate finance (Green Climate Fund,
Adaptation Fund, Global Environmental Facility, etc.)