ENVIRONMENT: INTERNATIONAL CONVENTIONS AND PROTOCOLS

Conventions and Protocols

International Summits relating to Environment

🔸Before United Nation ( Not important)

🔸After United Nation

International environment Law became get creation of UN and it's specialized agencies in 1945

Unofficial Summits and  Organisations

💠The first global conference on Environment UNESCO

·         -United nation educational scientific and cultural organisation held in 1968 @ Stock Holm

·         -This is also known as Human Conference on Environment

·         -Discussion :: On the Scientific Basis for rational use and conservation of resources

💠Green Issues in 1960s

·         During 1960s impact of human activities on the environment has resulted in new social , political , and ecological movement brought with the name of GREEN ISSUES

·         Green Network , Green Peace and Frames of the Earth are Non-Governmental Organisation throughout the world including India

·         These all initiatives Boosted environmental protection and preservation in the world

🔸GREEN PEACE

·         It's a group of 40 countries

·         Headquarters : Amsterdam

·         A Canadian Environmentalist introduced this word

·         It's main Objective is To make earth a better place to live and to create awareness among the people for climate change, deforestation, excessive fishing, genetic engineering and non nuclear issues

·         In 1989 European elections put green issues as a political agenda in their election campaign.

🔸GREEN PARTY

·         It was a political party work with ecological wisdom

·         Green Party aims to create adjust equitable and sustainable society with focus of various efforts for future prospects

1.  To fight against Genetically modified Organisms and Monsanto

2. To fight against builders lobby those are cementing the soil and water bodies

3. To push the boundaries of democratic space for natural land

OFFICIAL SUMMITS AND ORGANISATION

💠1972 Stock Holm Deceleration

o   Also known as UN Conference of Human Environment

ü  This is the first conference on human environment initiated by UNO

ü  Here try to observe or measure environment and it's relation shifts with human

ü  114 Countries have attended

ü  5th June has been decided as a WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY

ü  This conference adopted a declaration containing 26 principles which are plant to motivate and direct people all around the globe in the production and improvement of the social situation

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💠UNEP UN Environmental Program

o   Stock Holm conference proposed a new UN Agency UNEP

o   It established on 1972 Nairobi

o   It sponsors many environmental Programs

ü  1. CITES (1973)

o   Conversion on the control of International Treat in Endangered Species of Wild, Flora and Fauna

o   formed at Washington

ü  2. CMS (1979)

Convention on Migratory Species

ü  3. VIENNA CONVENTION (1985)

ü  4. MANTREAL PROTOCAL (1987)

ü  5. BASEL CONVENTION (1989)

Ø  It implements various environmental Policies and practices by coordinating various departments

Ø  UNEP work with UN Bodies , Global institutions , NGOs , Private sector and public society

Ø  UNEP has also active in funding and implementing various environmental related projects

💠 IPCC Inter governmental Panel on Climate Change

·         WMO (World Meteorological Organization )  & UNEP established the Inter governmental Panel on Climate Change in 1988

GREEN INDEX

Published bu UNEP

This Index provides the combined data if GDP and economic growth of environment

GREEN GDP

·         It evaluate the monitory form of loss of biodiversity due to climate change

GLOBAL 500 AWARDS

·         It was started by UNEP in 1979

·         It is awarded to any individual or organization that deals with the environmental protection related issues at Political Social and Legal Level

CHAMPIONS OF THE EARTH

ü  UNEP established it in 2004

ü  As on annual awards programme to recognise outstanding environmental leaders at a policy level

ü  6 awards are given every year

ü  This award program is a successor of Global 500

ü  This is awarded for Public, private sector and Public society

ü  In 2018 total 7 awards are given

ü  India got 2 awards

1. Cochin International Airport  in entrepreneur category

2. Narendra Mody as a policy leadership

                      Other Category:: 

3. Science and innovation

4. Lifetime achievement award

5. Policy leadership

6. Inspiration and Action

7. General Champion

Why Modi got Champions of the Earth?

1. To boost up Solar Energy (International Solar Alliance)

2. To pledge to eliminate Single use of Plastic by 2022

Previously who received from India?

Mr. Tulasi R Tanti, Founder and Chairman and MD of Suzlan Energy Limited was named by the UNEP as a Champions of the Earth for 2009 for his entrepreneurs in climate change

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💠World Charter for Nature  1983

o   UN General Assembly established this after 10 years of completion of Stockholm Conference

o   It highlights the ethics of preservation by which all anthropogenic actions distressing environment must be directed and referred efficiently

💠Brundt Land Commission (1987)

o   World commission on Environment and development

o   UN General Assembly Establish WCED , Chaired by Narvian Prime Minister Gro Harlen Brundtland

o   No governmental control on UN system were involved in establishing the commission

This commission has given certain reports to keep mandate

a)    It acts as a catalyst which gives directions on international negotiation among countries concerned with environmental degradation and conservation.

b)    The report has immensely contributed to the ideology of sustainable development

c)    This report influence the concept of addressing the environmental matter in the contest of economic matter

d)    Some of the great contribution of this report are "Polluter Pay Principle", differential standards for developed and developing countries and various precautionary principles

💠Earth Summit June 1992

·         UN Conference on Environment and Development

·         Rio Degenario

·         Came into effect in March 1994

·         Major Aim: to reinforce the socio Economic development and limit of the environmental degradation through co operation between the emerging and advanced countries

·         This summit resulted in following documents

(1) Rio Declaration for Environmental protection

(2) Agenda 21

·         Non binding voluntarily implemented action plan

·         Contains 300 pages

·         Recommend for UN Convention on combat Desertification (UNCCD) came in force in 1996

(3) Forest principles

NOTE: 1, 2, 3 are not binding

Under this summit important legally binding agreements were opened for signatures

4. UNFCCC

5. CBD

6. UNCCD UN Convention on combat Desertification

Note: 4, 5, 6 are binding

🔸RioDizenario Declaration

🔸Agenda 21  { 21st Century }

·         It highlights the strategy to create innovative Strategies and platform for nation wide administration. So that it can implement the Rio Declaration Mission.

·         It contains 40 Chapters emphasising on topics like challenges faced by poor people, health hazards, maintaining farming, deforestation, desertification, degradation of land, hazardous waste, air and water pollution, release of toxic chemicals and impact on biological diversity etc....

🔸Forest Principle

·         It deals with management, conservation, sustainable development of all kinds of forest both natural and human made

·         It motivates the government to promote participation of communities (Adivasi, Tribes) in development and implementation and planning of national forest policies where environmental protection, social and financial development relating to forest should be incorporated.

💠UNFCCC

·         -UN Framework Convention on Climate Change

·         -Brought in 1992 at Earth Summit Rio

·         -Came in force in 1994

·         -197 Parties

·         To develop a frame work and try to reduce green house gases to maintain global atmospheric temperature

·         -CBD & UNCCD are the sister conventions of UNFCCC

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🔸Classification of UNFCCC countries

3 group of Countries

1. Annex -1

-Industrialised countries and European Countries

-Countries they agreed to decrease their release of emissions to aim 5.2% below their 1990 level by 2012

2. Annex 2

Includes developed countries and European Countries which provide monetary resources for the emerging countries

Includes OECD (Organisation of Economics co operation and development ) also there

3. Annex -3

Developing countries

💠UNCCD

·         -United Nation Combat Conversion  on Desertification

·         -Formed on the recommendations of Agenda 21

·         -Accepted in 1994

·         -Came in to force in 1996

·         -Aim: A nation wide action program that incorporate extended period of strategies with the help of international cooperation against desertification

·         -The year 2006 was declared as International year of desert and desertification

·         This conversion acknowledge exclusively arid, semi arid and dry sub humid areas which are exclusively known as Dry lands

·         -195 countries

·         -Recent convention is held in 2017 in Ordas, China

🔸Committee on Science and Technology

·         -It was recognised by UNCCD

·         It is constituted of government representative capable in the fields of relevant to combat desertification and mitigating the effects of draught

·         This committee identified the priorities for research and recommend ways for intensify cooperation among the researchers

·         -It is a multidisciplinary and all parties are allowed to participate

Note: UNFCCC, CBD & UNCCD are binding

💠Rio +5

·         In 1997 UN General Assembly held a special meeting to evaluate the status on Agenda -21

·         Focus point :: Agenda to Action

💠Rio +10 (JohensBerg Declaration)

·         It also popular as World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD)

·         WSSD summit occurred 10 years after 1st earth summit

·         It ended in a major disappoint as no new commitment where meet to tackle any environmental crises by the Government

·         It ended with weak and non binding agreement to promote sustainable development

💠Rio + Summit

·         Held at Riodezenario , Brazil

·         Centre Point of Summit:: Agenda -21

·         It was considered as a revolutionary in the sense that it is essentially created the term Sustainable development and created the global environmental agenda for next 20 years

·         This conference has some partnership declarations with other countries

·         Various issues were initiated under this conferences

·         Requirement of Sustainable Development

·         Removal of Food crises

·         Development of transport systems in developing countries with the help of developed countries in transportation infrastructure like BS -IV and etc..

·         -Development of Green Economy

·         International partnership with developing Countries

💠Sustainable Development Goals

🔸Club of Roam ::

Founded in 1968 at Roam , Italy

A global think tank first proposed sustainable development goals in 1972

It deals verity of international issues like world economic system , climate change and environmental degradation

🔸MDG

Adopted in Millennium Summit of UN in 2000

Under MDG 8 international development goals where decided to achieve by 2015

MDGs was for both developed and developing countries

During that period all UN states at least 30 international organizations are committed to achieve MDG by 2015

🔸SDGs  { Non Binding }

ü  SDGs was implemented on June, 2016 and will be ended on 2030 as it replaced the MDGs

ü  SDGs was further proposed in 2012

ü  -It is officially called as transforming our world the 2030 agenda for development

ü  On July, 2014 UN General Assembly opened a working group to propose sustainable development goals with various issues

ü  The world Government in 2016 adopted a new set of 17 Sustainable goals

ü  SDG are applicable to all UN member nation

ü  For both developing and Developed countries

🔷17 SDGs are

The 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs)

GOAL 1: No Poverty

GOAL 2: Zero Hunger

GOAL 3: Good Health and Well-being

GOAL 4: Quality Education

GOAL 5: Gender Equality

GOAL 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

GOAL 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

GOAL 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

GOAL 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

GOAL 10: Reduced Inequality

GOAL 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

GOAL 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

GOAL 13: Climate Action

GOAL 14: Life Below Water

GOAL 15: Life on Land

GOAL 16: Peace and Justice Strong Institutions

GOAL 17: Partnerships to achieve the Goal

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💠Ozone protection based Conventions, Protocol and Summits

1. Vienna

2. Mantrial

3. Kigali

🔸Kigali agreement ( Replace

·         Signed by _______________ Countries

·         With a reason of amending Mantrial protocol in its 28th meeting

·         Held in Kigali, Africa on 15th Oct, 2016

·         This agreement was signed to cut down the manufacture use of HFCs by approximately 80-85% from there respective base lines till 2045

·         HFCs are commonly used in refrigerators and air conditioners

·         It's a legally binded agreement among signatory parties

·         It has been decided to come into effect from 1st Jan, 2019

·         It has divided the signatory parties in to 3 groups

1. Rich and Developed Countries

  

(update needed)

2. Emerging Economies

(update needed)

3. Developing Economies and some of the hottest climatic countries like India, Pakisthan , Iran , …

 (update needed)

Provisions for developing countries are also discussed in this agreement

🔸 Implementation of Kigali in India

1.      Financial Implications

2.      Technology Implications

💠GEF Global Environmental Facility

·         Founded in 1991 with 1 B USD as pilot program brought by World Bank

·         Purpose:: To protect global environment

·         In 1992 @ the Rio earth summit the Global Environmental Facility was restructured and become permanent institution

·         Now 10 GEF agencies that are currently operating for the safety of Global Environment

·         GEF unites 183 Countries in partnership with international institutions, civil society organization and private sectors

·         Today the GEF is the largest public funder to improve the global environment

The GEF provider help to work in 7 main areas

1. biodiversity

2. climate change mitigation and adaptation

3. Chemicals

4. International water bodies

5. Degradation of Land

6.Sustainable management of Forest (REDD +)

7. Depletion of Ozone Layer

💠UNESCO

·         HQ:: Paris

·         195Member nations

·         5 Major programs of UNESCO

1. Education

2. Natural sciences

3. Social /Human science

5. Cultural Activities

Note: It works on  Abolition of poverty , Sustainable development also

UNESCOSs strategies and action also worked earlier to attack MDG

💠MAP Man and Biosphere Program

·         UNESCO launched in 1971

·         Intergovernmental scientific program that aims to establish a scientific foundation for the development of relationship between people and their environment

·         It focuses on internationally recognized sites within the world network of Biosphere reserves

💠 Conservation International (CI)

·         It's an American non profit Environmental Organization

·         HQ. in Arlington, Virginia

·         Founded in 1987 with a goal to protect nature as a source of food and fresh water , health, our society and development and everything dependent on ecosystem and natural biodiversity

·         CI work by connecting nature to science and technology, policies, intergovernmental partnership, communities, stake holders, business and much more to reach their goal of building a healthier environment

·         CI also plays important to al in designation HOTSPOTS

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