Climate Change and COP28 – Key Terms and Definitions

Context: Dubai, UAE will host the 28th edition of the Conference of the Parties (COP) starting on November 30. 

Climate Change and COP28 – Key Terms and Definitions used in Climate Change Conversation

• COP (Conference of the Parties):
  • COP is an international climate meeting organised annually by the United Nations (UN). 
  • COP is short for Conference of the Parties. ‘Parties’ is a reference to 198 countries that have joined the international treaty called the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). 
• Kyoto Protocol:
  • The Kyoto Protocol was an international treaty that placed obligations on the set of rich and industrialised countries to cut their greenhouse gas emissions by assigned amounts. 
  • It was adopted in Kyoto, Japan, in 1997, and came into effect in 2005. 
  • The treaty formally expired in 2020 and was replaced by the Paris Agreement as the main international treaty for coordinating global action against climate change.
• Paris Agreement:
  • Adopted in 2015 at COP21 in Paris, the agreement is aimed to limit rising global average temperature. 
  • It legally binds (now) 195 nations to combat climate change and adapt to its effects.
• 1.5 Degree Limit:
  • Under the Paris Agreement, the countries have agreed to keep average global temperature “well below” 2 degree Celsius this century compared to pre-industrial levels. 
  • They have also pledged to pursue efforts to limit the rise to 1.5 degree Celsius to avoid severe climate impacts.
• Glasgow Pact:
  • At the COP26 summit in Glasgow, Scotland, participants reached an agreement calling for the phasedown of coal and the phaseout of fossil fuels. 
  • This marked the first instance in which a UN climate agreement explicitly addressed coal. 
  • The pact also marked the resolution of the deadlock over carbon markets.
• Carbon Markets:
  • Trading systems, where countries or industries sell and buy carbon credits, enable earning credits for exceeding greenhouse gas emission reduction targets.
  • Countries or industries can trade these carbon credits to the highest bidder in exchange for money.
  • Buyers of carbon credits can claim emission reductions as their own and use them to meet their reduction targets.
  • One tradable carbon credit equals one tonne of reduced, sequestered, or avoided carbon dioxide or an equivalent amount of another greenhouse gas.
  • Once a credit is used to reduce, sequester, or avoid emissions, it transforms into an offset and becomes non-tradable.
• Greenhouse gases:
  • The gases that trap heat in the atmosphere are known as greenhouse gases (GHGs). 
  • They allow sunlight to pass through the atmosphere, but obstruct the heat the sunlight brings from leaving. 
  • Source of GHGs: Fossil fuels like coal, diesel, gasoline or petrol, kerosene and natural gas. 
  • Prominent GHGs: Carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide are among the most 
• Net Zero:
  • Achieving a balance between emitted and removed greenhouse gases, often through creating carbon sinks like forests or advanced technologies.
  • In 2018, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) marked 2050 as the deadline by which the world must reach net zero if it wants to limit global warming to 1.5 degree Celsius.
    • IPCC: It is the United Nations body for assessing the science related to climate change. 
      • It was set up in 1988 by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). 
      • Objective: To prepare Assessment Reports, special reports, and methodology reports assessing the state of knowledge of climate change.
• Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS):
  • A process that captures carbon dioxide from industrial sources and stores it underground to prevent it from entering the atmosphere.
  • Carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS): CCUS goes a step further than CCS and uses the captured carbon in the production of goods such as alcohols, biofuels, plastics or concret
• Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs):
  • The Paris Agreement requires each country to prepare an outline for their efforts to reduce national emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change. 
  • These commitments are known as NDCs and they are submitted every five years.
• Global stocktake: 
  • A five-year review where countries assess progress in fighting climate change and plan future actions. The first stocktake findings will be presented at COP28.
• Loss and Damage:
  • Unavoidable social and financial impacts caused by extreme weather events, with a fund established to help affected countries.
• Common but Differentiated Responsibilities (CBDR):
  • A principle recognizing different capacities and responsibilities of countries to address global environmental issues like climate change.
  • Example of the CBDR principle: 1989 Montreal Protocol is designed to protect the ozone layer. It gave a 10-year grace period for ‘developing countries’ to implement the control measures.
• Triple Renewable Energy:
  • A goal to triple global renewable energy capacity by 2030, as recommended by the International Energy Agency to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.
• Just Transition:
  • Shifting to a low-carbon economy without neglecting workers’ rights and community needs, particularly in industries undergoing major changes.
• Loss and Damage Fund:
  • Financial assistance to countries facing climate disasters, established at COP27, though currently empty.

Also Read: NDC Synthesis Report For 2023: UNFCCC

News Source: Indian Express