International negotiations have resulted in taking first steps to combating climate change by agreement on the Kyoto Protocol under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 1997. According to the Kyoto Protocol, industrialized countries, so called Annex I countries to the Convention, have to reduce greenhouse gas emissions between 2008 and 2012 based on 1990 emission levels. These emission reduction targets of 5.2 % under the Kyoto Protocol are not sufficient to ensure that concentrations of CO2 and other greenhouse gases can be stabilized in the atmosphere to stop climate change. Further steps need to be undertaken after 2012 to effectively tackle the climate change problem.
Although a formal negotiating process on future climate change commitments has not yet started at UNFCCC level, much activity and discussion is observed already among research institutions, climate modelling departments, businesses, NGOs and governmental bodies.
The major themes that are arising for discussing and negotiating a second commitment period are strengthening the emission reduction effort of developed countries, ensuring compatibility with the USA climate change policy, discussing developing country participation as well as equity issues and improving the negotiating process to speed up international agreements.
There is a need for information dissemination on this evolving issue. The website therefore provides such information on currently discussed approaches of how to shape a second commitment period. It furthermore gives insight into ongoing international processes and active organizations designing dialog processes. In addition the website invites you to participate in discussion through a web based Forum.
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