Glosarry Climate Change
Abatement
Refers
to reducing the degree or intensity of greenhouse-gas emissions.
Activities
implemented jointly (AIJ)
Activities
carried out under the Convention to mitigate climate change through
partnerships between an investor from a developed country and a counterpart in
a host country under a pilot phase that ended in the year 2000. The purpose was
to involve private-sector money in the transfer of technology and know-how. See
also Joint Implementation.
Adaptation
Adjustment
in natural or human systems in response to actual or expected climatic stimuli
or their effects, which moderates harm or exploits beneficial opportunities.
Adaptation
Fund
The
Adaptation Fund was established to finance concrete adaptation projects and
programmes in developing countries that are Parties to the Kyoto
Protocol. The Fund is to be financed with a share of proceeds from clean
development mechanism (CDM) project activities and receive funds from other
sources.
Additionality
Measurable,
long-term greenhouse gas emissions reductions and/or removal enhancements that
would not have occurred in the absence of a particular project, policy or
activity.
Afforestation
Afforestation
is defined under the Kyoto Protocol as the direct human-induced conversion of
non-forest land to permanent forested land (for a period of at least 50 years).
Afforestation
Planting
of new forests on lands that historically have not contained forests.
AFOLU
AFOLU
is the acronym for Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Uses recommended by the
IPCC in 2006 as a new term covering LULUCF (Land Use, Land Use Change and
Forestry) and agriculture.
Alliance
of Small Island States (AOSIS)
An
ad hoc coalition of low-lying and island countries. These nations are
particularly vulnerable to rising sea levels and share common positions on
climate change. The 43 members and observers are American Samoa, Antigua and
Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Cape Verde, Comoros, Cook Islands, Cuba,
Cyprus, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji,
Grenada, Guam, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Kiribati, Maldives,
Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Nauru, Netherlands Antilles, Niue, Palau, Papua
New Guinea, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Seychelles, Singapore, Solomon
Islands, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines,
Suriname, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, US Virgin Islands, and Vanuatu.
Amendment
A
modification by the COP to the text of the Convention. If consensus cannot be
reached, an amendment must win three-quarters of the votes of all Parties
present and casting ballots.
Annex
I Parties
Industrialised
countries that, as parties to the Framework Convention on Climate Change, have
pledged to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by the year 2000 to 1990
levels. Annex I Parties consist of countries belonging to the Organization for
Economic Cooperation and Development and countries designated as 'economies in
transition'.
Annex
I Parties
The
industrialized countries listed in this annex to the Convention which were
committed return their greenhouse-gas emissions to 1990 levels by the year 2000
as per Article 4.2 (a) and (b). They have also accepted emissions targets for
the period 2008-12 as per Article 3 and Annex B of the Kyoto Protocol. They
include the 24 original OECD members, the European Union, and 14 countries with
economies in transition. (Croatia, Liechtenstein, Monaco, and Slovenia joined
Annex 1 at COP-3, and the Czech Republic and Slovakia replaced
Czechoslovakia.).
Annex
II Parties
Annex
II Parties
The
countries listed in Annex II to the Convention which have a special obligation
to provide financial resources and facilitate technology transfer to developing
countries. Annex II Parties include the 24 original OECD members plus the
European Union. (http://www.carbonplanet.com/definitions)
Anthropogenic
greenhouse emissions
Article
4.1
Article
4.2
An
article of the Convention stating the specific commitments of developed-country
(Annex I) Parties only � notably that they would take
measures aimed to return greenhouse-gas emissions to 1990 levels by the year
2000. (http://www.carbonplanet.com/definitions)
Article
6
Supervisory
Committee A committee providing
international oversight of "track-two" joint implementation projects.
Joint implementation projects are carried out by sponsoring and recipient
developed countries under Article 6 of the Kyoto Protocol �
with the recipient likely to be a country with an "economy in
transition". Track-two is used if one or both of the countries does not
meet requirements for the standard ("track one") joint implementation
programme. See track two. (http://www.carbonplanet.com/definitions)
Assigned
amount unit (AAU)
A
Kyoto Protocol unit equal to 1 metric tonne of CO2
equivalent. Each Annex I Party issues AAUs up to the level of its
assigned amount, established pursuant to Article 3, paragraphs 7 and 8, of the
Kyoto Protocol. Assigned amount units may be exchanged through emissions
trading. (http://www.carbonplanet.com/definitions)
Avoided
deforestation
B
Bali
Action Plan
One
part of the Bali Roadmap, the Bali Action Plan is the name given to a decision
taken by the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC that specifically concerns
negotiations on future amendments of the convention itself. The decision
establishes an Ad Hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action to consider
specific issues, also set out in the Action Plan, with a view to reaching
agreement at the UNFCCC negotiations to be held in Copenhagen in December 2009.
(http://www.scidev.net/en/climate-change-and-energy/definitions).
Bali
roadmap
The
collection of decisions and conclusions adopted by the parties to the UNFCCC
and to the Kyoto Protocol at the 2007 UNFCCC conference in Bali, Indonesia. The
roadmap provides a process for agreeing future revisions and additions to the
UNFCCC and the Kyoto Protocol. It sets the aim of finalising all post-2012
discussions by the UNFCCC negotiations to be held in Copenhagen in December
2009. (http://www.scidev.net/en/climate-change-and-energy/definitions).
Baseline
Also
called 'reference line', a baseline can refer to three concepts: (i) the
historical baseline, that is, the rate of deforestation and forest degradation
(DD) and the resulting CO2 emissions over the past x years; (ii) the projected
DD under a business-as-usual scenario; and (iii) a benchmark for rewarding the
country (or project). (http://www.scidev.net/en/climate-change-and-energy/definitions).
Berlin
Mandate
Biodiversity
Biological
Diversity
Biomass
fuels or biofuels
A
fuel produced from dry organic matter or combustible oils produced by plants.
These fuels are considered renewable as long as the vegetation producing them
is maintained or replanted, such as firewood, alcohol fermented from sugar, and
combustible oils extracted from soy beans. Their use in place of fossil fuels
cuts greenhouse gas emissions because the plants that are the fuel sources
capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. (http://www.carbonplanet.com/definitions)
Bonn
agreements
Informal
term for a political deal reached at COP-6 in Bonn, Germany, in 2001, by which
governments agreed on the most politically controversial issues under the
Buenos Aires Plan of Action. The Bonn agreements paved the way for the
Marrakech Accords later in the same year. (http://www.carbonplanet.com/definitions)
Bonn
fund
Brazilian
proposal
A
proposal by the delegation of Brazil made in May 1997 as part of the
negotiations on the Kyoto Protocol. It included a formula to set
differentiated emission reduction targets for Parties based to the cumulative
impact of Parties' historic emissions on the global average surface
temperature. (http://www.carbonplanet.com/definitions)
Bunker
fuels�
Bureau
A
body responsible for directing the work of the COP. Its 10 members are
delegates elected by each of five regional groups. The Bureau includes the COP
President, six Vice Presidents, the Chairs of SBI and SBSTA, and a rapporteur.
Each of the Convention's subsidiary bodies also has a Bureau. (http://www.carbonplanet.com/definitions)
CACAM
Cap
and trade
Capacity
building
In
the context of climate change, the process of developing the technical skills
and institutional capability in developing countries and economies in
transition to enable them to address effectively the causes and results of
climate change. (http://www.carbonplanet.com/definitions)
Carbon
Dioxide (CO2)
The
greenhouse gas whose concentration is being most affected directly by human
activities. Carbon dioxide also serves as the reference to compare all other
greenhouse gases (see carbon dioxide equivalents). The major source of carbon
dioxide emissions is fossil fuel combustion. Carbon dioxide emissions are also
a product of forest clearing, biomass burning, and non-energy production
processes such as cement production. Atmospheric concentrations of carbon
dioxide have been increasing at a rate of about 0.5 per cent per year, and are
now about 30 per cent above pre-industrial levels. (http://www.scidev.net/en/climate-change-and-energy/definitions).
Carbon
market
A
popular but misleading term for a trading system through which countries may
buy or sell units of greenhouse-gas emissions in an effort to meet their
national limits on emissions, either under the Kyoto Protocol or under other
agreements, such as that among member states of the European Union. The term
comes from the fact that carbon dioxide is the predominant greenhouse gas and
other gases are measured in units called "carbon-dioxide equivalents."
(http://www.carbonplanet.com/definitions)
Carbon
markets
Any
market in which carbon emissions trading, usually in the form of carbon
credits, takes place. Markets consist of voluntary markets (where emissions
reductions targets are not regulated) and compliance markets (where carbon
credits are traded to meet regulated emissions reductions targets). The largest
carbon market is currently (2009) the EU's Emissions Trading System. (http://www.scidev.net/en/climate-change-and-energy/definitions).
Carbon
sequestration
Carbon
Sequestration
Carbon
Sinks
Carbon
source
Carbon
Stock
CC:TRAIN
Certified
Emission Reduction (CER)
A
CER is a unit of greenhouse gas reductions that has been generated and
certified under the Kyoto Protocol's Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). One CER
equals one tonne of carbon. Two special types of CERs can be issued for net
emission removals from afforestation and reforestation CDM projects: (i)
temporary certified emission reduction (tCERs); and (ii) long-term certified
emission reductions (lCERs) (http://www.scidev.net/en/climate-change-and-energy/definitions).
Certified
emission reductions (CER)
A
Kyoto Protocol unit equal to 1 metric tonne of CO2
equivalent. CERs are issued for emission reductions from CDM project
activities. Two special types of CERs called temporary certified emission
reduction (tCERs) and long-term certified emission reductions (lCERs) are
issued for emission removals from afforestation and reforestation CDM projects.
(http://www.carbonplanet.com/definitions)
CGE
Chair
(or Chairman, Chairperson, etc.)
National
delegates elected by participating governments to lead the deliberations of the
Convention's subsidiary bodies. Different chairs may be elected for other
informal groups. The Chair is responsible for facilitating progress towards an
agreement and serves during the inter-sessional period until the next COP.
Clean
Development Mechanism (CDM)
A
mechanism under the Kyoto Protocol through which developed countries may
finance greenhouse-gas emission reduction or removal projects in developing
countries, and receive credits for doing so which they may apply towards
meeting mandatory limits on their own emissions. (http://www.carbonplanet.com/definitions)
Clean
Development Mechanisms (CDM)
Article
12 of the Kyoto Protocol provides for the CDM, which would enable developed
countries to invest in emissions reducing projects in developing countries in
order to obtain credit to put towards meeting their assigned targets. The
details of the CDM have yet to be negotiated, but in principle allows countries
to use credits obtained from the year 2000 to meet their Kyoto targets, if they
choose to do so. (http://www.scidev.net/en/climate-change-and-energy/definitions).
Clearing
house
CMS
CO2
equivalent
Not
all greenhouse gases warm the atmosphere equally �
methane for example, has a greater warming effect than carbon dioxide. CO2
equivalent, or 'CO2e' accounts for this and means that other greenhouse gases
can be converted to the equivalent amount of CO2, based on their relative
contribution to global warming. This provides for a single, uniform means of
measuring emissions reductions for multiple greenhouse gases. (http://www.scidev.net/en/climate-change-and-energy/definitions).
Coalition
for Rainforest Nations (CfRN)
A
collaboration between developing nations that contain rainforests to reconcile
forest stewardship with economic development. As of November 2008, participants
included 41 countries in Asia, Africa, the Americas and Oceania. Sometimes the
coalition acts as a single group in UNFCCC negotiations. It is behind a number
of REDD submissions. (http://www.scidev.net/en/climate-change-and-energy/definitions).
Co-benefits
Committee
of the Whole
Often
created by a COP to aid in negotiating text. It consists of the same membership
as the COP. When the Committee has finished its work, it turns the text over to
the COP, which finalizes and then adopts the text during a plenary session.
(http://www.carbonplanet.com/definitions)
Common
Reporting Format (CRF)
Compliance
Committee
A
committee that helps facilitate, promote and enforce on compliance with the
provisions of the Kyoto Protocol. It has 20 members with representation spread
among various regions, small-island developing states, Annex I and non-Annex I
parties, and functions through a plenary, a bureau, a facilitative branch and
an enforcement branch. (http://www.carbonplanet.com/definitions)
Compliance
Compliance-grade
MRV
Conference
of the Parties (COP)
The
collection of nations that have ratified the Framework Convention on Climate
Change (FCCC), that was signed at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992.
The COP currently has more than 150 countries represented, and about 50
additional observer states. Its primary role is to keep the implementation of
the Convention under review and to take the decisions necessary for the
effective implementation of the Convention. (http://www.scidev.net/en/climate-change-and-energy/definitions).
Conference
of the Parties (COP)
The
supreme body of the Convention. It currently meets once a year to review the
Convention's progress. The word "conference" is not used here in the
sense of "meeting" but rather of "association," which
explains the seemingly redundant expression "fourth session of the
Conference of the Parties." (http://www.carbonplanet.com/definitions)
Conference
of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the Parties (CMP)
The
Convention's supreme body is the COP, which serves as the meeting of the
Parties to the Kyoto Protocol. The sessions of the COP and the CMP are held
during the same period to reduce costs and improve coordination between the
Convention and the Protocol. (http://www.carbonplanet.com/definitions)
Conference
room papers (CRPs)
Consultative
Group of Experts on National Communications from non-Annex I Parties
A
panel established to improve the preparation of national communications from
developing countries. National communications are an obligation of Parties to
the Climate Change Convention. (http://www.carbonplanet.com/definitions)
Contact
group
An
open-ended meeting that may be established by the COP, a subsidiary body or a
Committee of the Whole wherein Parties may negotiate before forwarding agreed
text to a plenary for formal adoption. Observers generally may attend contact
group sessions. (http://www.carbonplanet.com/definitions)
Countries
with Economies in Transition (EIT)
Those
Central and East European countries and former republics of the Soviet Union in
transition from state-controlled to market economies.
CSD
Executive
Board of the Clean Development Mechanism
D
Declaration
Deforestation
Deforestation
The
practices or processes that result in the change of forested lands to
non-forest uses. This is often cited as one of the major causes of the enhanced
greenhouse effect, on the grounds that the burning or decomposition of the wood
releases carbon dioxide, and that trees that once removed carbon dioxide from
the atmosphere in the process of photosynthesis are no longer present and
contributing to carbon storage. (http://www.scidev.net/en/climate-change-and-energy/definitions).
Designated
National Authority (DNA)
An
office, ministry, or other official entity appointed by a Party to the Kyoto
Protocol to review and give national approval to projects proposed under the
Clean Development Mechanism. (http://www.carbonplanet.com/definitions)
Documents
Documents
fall into different categories. Official documents are available to everyone
and feature the logos of the United Nations and the Climate Change Convention.
They carry a reference number, such as FCCC/CP/1998/1. Pre-session documents
are available before a meeting, often in all six UN languages. In-session
documents are distributed on-site (see CRPs, L docs, Misc. docs, and
non-papers). Informal documents are often distributed outside the meeting room
by observers. (http://www.carbonplanet.com/definitions)
Drafting
group
A
smaller group established by the President or a Chair of a Convention body to
meet separately and in private to prepare draft text �
text which must still be formally approved later in a plenary session.
Observers generally may not attend drafting group meetings. (http://www.carbonplanet.com/definitions)
Emission
reduction unit (ERU)
A
Kyoto Protocol unit equal to 1 metric tonne of CO2
equivalent. ERUs are generated for emission reductions or emission
removals from joint implementation project. (http://www.carbonplanet.com/definitions)
Emission
Trading
The
Kyoto Protocol allows Parties listed in Annex B to participate in trading of
their assigned amounts for the purposes of fulfilling their emissions
commitments. Parties buying parts of assigned amounts can add these to their
assigned amounts under the Protocol, while Parties selling must deduct them.
Such trading must be supplemental to domestic actions. The COP is to define the
rules and modalities for trading. (http://www.scidev.net/en/climate-change-and-energy/definitions).
Emissions
trading
One
of the three Kyoto mechanisms, by which an Annex I Party may transfer Kyoto
Protocol units to or acquire units from another Annex I Party. An Annex I
Party must meet specific eligibility requirements to participate in emissions
trading. (http://www.carbonplanet.com/definitions)
Entry
into force
The
point at which an intergovernmental agreement becomes legally binding �
occurring at a pre-stated interval after a pre-stated and required number of
ratifications by countries has been achieved. The Climate Change Convention
required 50 ratifications to enter into force. It now enters into force for
each new Party 90 days after that Party ratifies the Convention. (http://www.carbonplanet.com/definitions)
Environmental
Integrity Group
Environmental
services
Natural
processes carried out by ecosystems that support all life on Earth.
Environmental services include water supply, cycling of soil nutrients,
pollination, natural means of pest control and carbon sequestration.
Conservationists and some economists argue that these services have a monetary
value, which ought to be included in a country's national accounts. (http://www.scidev.net/en/climate-change-and-energy/definitions).
European
Union (EU)
As
a regional economic integration organization, the EU is a Party to both the
Convention and the Kyoto Protocol. However, it does not have a separate vote
from its member states. Because the EU signed the Convention when it was known
as the EEC (European Economic Community), the EU retains this name for all
formal Convention-related purposes. Members are Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech
Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland,
Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal,
Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. (http://www.carbonplanet.com/definitions)
Expert
Group on Technology Transfer (EGTT)
An
expert group established at COP7 with the objective of enhancing the
implementation of Article 4.5 of the Convention, by analyzing and identifying
ways to facilitate and advance technology transfer activities under the
Convention. (http://www.carbonplanet.com/definitions)
Expert
review teams
Financial
Mechanism
Developed
country Parties (Annex II Parties) are required to provide financial resources
to assist developing country Parties implement the Convention. To facilitate
this, the Convention established a financial mechanism to provide funds to
developing country Parties. The Parties to the Convention assigned
operation of the financial mechanism to the Global Environment Facility (GEF)
on an on-going basis, subject to review every four years. The financial
mechanism is accountable to the COP. (http://www.carbonplanet.com/definitions)
Friends of the chair
Delegates
called upon by the Chair (who takes into account the need for political balance
among various interests) to assist in carrying out specific tasks. (http://www.carbonplanet.com/definitions)
Fugitive
fuel emissions
Greenhouse-gas
emissions as by-products or waste or loss in the process of fuel production,
storage, or transport, such as methane given off during oil and gas drilling
and refining, or leakage of natural gas from pipelines. (http://www.carbonplanet.com/definitions)
G
GATT�
GCOS
Global
Environment Facility (GEF)
A
global, three-dimensional computer model of the climate system that can be used
to simulate human-induced climate change. GCMs are highly complex, and
represent the effects of such factors as reflective and absorptive properties
of atmospheric water vapour, greenhouse gas concentrations, clouds, annual and
daily solar heating, ocean temperatures and ice boundaries. The most recent
GCMs include global representations of the atmosphere, oceans, and land
surface. (http://www.scidev.net/en/climate-change-and-energy/definitions).
Global
Environment Facility (GEF)
The
GEF is an independent financial organization that provides grants to developing
countries for projects that benefit the global environment and promote
sustainable livelihoods in local communities. The Parties to the
Convention assigned operation of the financial mechanism to the Global
Environment Facility (GEF) on an on-going basis, subject to review every four
years. The financial mechanism is accountable to the COP. (http://www.carbonplanet.com/definitions)
Global
Warming
An
increase in the near-surface temperature of the Earth. Global warming has
occurred in the distant past as the result of natural influences, but the term
is most often used to refer to the warming predicted to occur as a result of
increased emissions of greenhouse gases. Scientists generally agree that the
Earth's surface has warmed by about 1 degree Fahrenheit in the past 140 years.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change recently concluded that increased
concentrations of greenhouse gases are causing an increase in the Earth's
surface temperature and that increased concentrations of sulphate aerosols have
led to relative cooling in some regions, generally over and downwind of heavily
industrialised areas. (http://www.scidev.net/en/climate-change-and-energy/definitions).
Global
warming potential (GWP)
An
index representing the combined effect of the differing times greenhouse gases
remain in the atmosphere and their relative effectiveness in absorbing outgoing
infrared radiation. (http://www.carbonplanet.com/definitions)
GOOS
Greenhouse
Gas
Greenhouse
gases (GHGs)
The
atmospheric gases responsible for causing global warming and climate change.
The major GHGs are carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous
oxide (N20). Less prevalent --but very powerful �
greenhouse gases are hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs) and
sulphur hexafluoride (SF6). (http://www.carbonplanet.com/definitions)
Group
of 77 (G-77) and China
A
large negotiating alliance of developing countries that focuses on numerous
international topics, including climate change. The G-77 was founded in 1967
under the auspices of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
(UNCTAD). It seeks to harmonize the negotiating positions of its 131 member
states. (http://www.carbonplanet.com/definitions)
GRULAC
GTOS
"hot
air"
Refers
to the concern that some governments will be able to meet their targets for
greenhouse-gas emissions under the Kyoto Protocol with minimal effort and could
then flood the market with emissions credits, reducing the incentive for other
countries to cut their own domestic emissions. (http://www.carbonplanet.com/definitions)
Implementation
Actions (legislation or regulations,
judicial decrees, or other actions) that governments take to translate
international accords into domestic law and policy. (http://www.carbonplanet.com/definitions)
In-depth
review (IDR) A
process by which an Annex I Party's implementation of the Convention and/or the
Kyoto Protocol is technically assessed by international teams of experts. (http://www.carbonplanet.com/definitions)
Informal
contact group A
group of delegates instructed by the President or a Chair to meet in private to
discuss a specific matter in an effort to consolidate different views, reach a
compromise, and produce an agreed proposal, often in the form of a written
text. (http://www.carbonplanet.com/definitions)
Intergovernmental
Negotiating Committee (INC) A
committee created to draft the Convention. The INC met in five sessions between
February 1991 and May 1992. After the text of the Convention was adopted in
1992, the INC met six further times to prepare for COP-1. It completed its work
in February 1995. (http://www.carbonplanet.com/definitions)
Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Established
in 1988 by the World Meteorological Organization and the UN Environment
Programme, the IPCC surveys world-wide scientific and technical literature and
publishes assessment reports that are widely recognized as the most credible
existing sources of information on climate change. The IPCC also works on
methodologies and responds to specific requests from the Convention's
subsidiary bodies. The IPCC is independent of the Convention. (http://www.carbonplanet.com/definitions)
Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) The
IPCC was established jointly by the United Nations Environment Programme and
the World Meteorological Organization in 1988. Its purpose is to assess
information in the scientific and technical literature related to all
significant components of the issue of climate change. The IPCC draws upon
hundreds of expert scientists as authors and thousands as expert reviewers.
Leading experts on climate change and environmental, social, and economic
sciences from some 60 nations have helped the IPCC to prepare periodic
assessments of the scientific underpinnings for understanding global climate
change and its consequences. With its capacity for reporting on climate change,
its consequences, and the viability of adaptation and mitigation measures, the
IPCC is also looked to as the official advisory body to the world's governments
on the state of the science of the climate change issue. (http://www.scidev.net/en/climate-change-and-energy/definitions).
International
Climate Change Partnership Global
coalition of companies and trade associations committed to constructive
participation in international policy making on climate change. (http://www.carbonplanet.com/definitions)
J
Joint
implementation (JI)
A
mechanism under the Kyoto Protocol through which a developed country can
receive "emissions reduction units" when it helps to finance projects
that reduce net greenhouse-gas emissions in another developed country (in
practice, the recipient state is likely to be a country with an "economy
in transition"). An Annex I Party must meet specific eligibility
requirements to participate in joint implementation. (http://www.carbonplanet.com/definitions)
Joint
Implementation
The
process permitted under the Kyoto Protocol (q.v.) under which developed
countries can invest in projects in other developed countries to acquire
credits to assists in meeting their assigned target reductions in greenhouse
gas emissions. Countries can only use credits generated in the commitment
period of 2008 to 2012. Participation is voluntary. (http://www.scidev.net/en/climate-change-and-energy/definitions).
Joint
Liaison Group (JLG)
Group
of representatives of UNFCCC, CBD, and UNCCD Secretariats set up to explore
common activities to confront problems related to climate change, biodiversity
and desertification. (http://www.carbonplanet.com/definitions)
JUSSCANNZ�
An
acronym representing non-EU industrialized countries which occasionally meet to
discuss various issues related to climate change. The members are Japan, the
United States, Switzerland, Canada, Australia, Norway, and New Zealand.
Iceland, Mexico, and the Republic of Korea may also attend JUSSCANZ meetings.
(http://www.carbonplanet.com/definitions)
Kyoto
mechanisms
Three
procedures established under the Kyoto Protocol to increase the flexibility and
reduce the costs of making greenhouse-gas emissions cuts; they are the Clean
Development Mechanism, Emissions Trading and Joint Implementation. (http://www.carbonplanet.com/definitions)
Kyoto
Protocol
An
international agreement standing on its own, and requiring separate
ratification by governments, but linked to the UNFCCC. The Kyoto Protocol,
among other things, sets binding targets for the reduction of greenhouse-gas
emissions by industrialized countries. (http://www.carbonplanet.com/definitions)
Kyoto
Protocol
The
international agreement, reached in 1997 in Kyoto, Japan, which extends the
commitments of the UNFCCC originally made at the Earth Summit in 1992. In
particular, it sets targets for future emissions of greenhouse gases by the
developed countries. (http://www.scidev.net/en/climate-change-and-energy/definitions).
L.
docs
In-session
documents that contain draft reports and texts for adoption by the COP or its
subsidiary bodies. Usually such documents are available in all six UN
languages. (http://www.carbonplanet.com/definitions)
Land
use, land-use change, and forestry (LULUCF)�
A
greenhouse gas inventory sector that covers emissions and removals of
greenhouse gases resulting from direct human-induced land use, land-use change
and forestry activities. (http://www.carbonplanet.com/definitions)
Leakage
Leakage
That
portion of cuts in greenhouse-gas emissions by developed countries �
countries trying to meet mandatory limits under the Kyoto Protocol �
that may reappear in other countries not bound by such limits. For example,
multinational corporations may shift factories from developed countries to
developing countries to escape restrictions on emissions. (http://www.carbonplanet.com/definitions)
Least
Developed Countries (LDCs)
The
World's poorest countries. The criteria currently used by the Economic
and Social Council (ECOSOC) for designation as an LDC include low income, human
resource weakness and economic vulnerability. Currently 50 countries have
been designated by the UN General Assembly as LDCs. (http://www.carbonplanet.com/definitions)
Least
Developed Countries Expert Group (LEG)
A
panel of 12 experts which provides advice to LDCs on the preparation and
implementation of national adaptation programmes of action (NAPAs) �
plans for addressing the urgent and immediate needs of those countries to adapt
to climate change. (http://www.carbonplanet.com/definitions)
Least
Developed Country Fund (LDCF)
The
LDCF is a fund established to support a work programme to assist Least
Developed Country Parties to carry out, inter alia, the preparation and
implementation of national adaptation programmes of action (NAPAs). The
Global Environment Facility, as the entity that operates the financial
mechanism of the Convention, has been entrusted to operate this fund. (http://www.carbonplanet.com/definitions)
Liability
LULUCF
Acronym
for land use, land-use change and forestry, which is a recognised category of
activities that can contribute to both greenhouse gas emissions and emissions
removals. The other main categories are energy-related emissions (both
production and consumption), agriculture and waste-related activities. (http://www.scidev.net/en/climate-change-and-energy/definitions).
M
Marrakesh
Accords
Agreements
reached at COP-7 which set various rules for "operating" the more
complex provisions of the Kyoto Protocol. Among other things, the accords
include details for establishing a greenhouse-gas emissions trading system;
implementing and monitoring the Protocol's Clean Development Mechanism; and
setting up and operating three funds to support efforts to adapt to climate
change. (http://www.carbonplanet.com/definitions)
Meeting
A
formal gathering that occurs during a "session." Each session of the
COP, for example, is divided into a number of meetings. A meeting is generally
scheduled from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. or from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. (http://www.carbonplanet.com/definitions)
Miscellaneous
documents (misc. docs)
Documents
issued on plain paper with no UN masthead. They generally contain views or
comments published as received from a delegation without formal editing. (http://www.carbonplanet.com/definitions)
Mitigation
Mitigation
In
the context of climate change, a human intervention to reduce the sources or
enhance the sinks of greenhouse gases. Examples include using fossil
fuels more efficiently for industrial processes or electricity generation,
switching to solar energy or wind power, improving the insulation of buildings,
and expanding forests and other "sinks" to remove greater amounts of
carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. (http://www.carbonplanet.com/definitions)
Montreal
Protocol
"No-regrets
options"
Technology
for reducing greenhouse-gas emissions whose other benefits (in terms of
efficiency or reduced energy costs) are so extensive that the investment is
worth it for those reasons alone. For example, combined-cycle gas turbines �
in which the heat from the burning fuel drives steam turbines while the thermal
expansion of the exhaust gases drives gas turbines �
may boost the efficiency of electricity generating plants by 70 per cent. (http://www.carbonplanet.com/definitions)
National
adaptation programmes of action (NAPAs)
Documents
prepared by least developed countries (LDCs) identifying urgent and immediate
needs for adapting to climate change. The NAPAs are then presented to the
international donor community for support. (http://www.carbonplanet.com/definitions)
National
communication
A
document submitted in accordance with the Convention (and the Protocol) by
which a Party informs other Parties of activities undertaken to address climate
change. Most developed countries have now submitted their fourth national
communications; most developing countries have completed their first national
communication and are in the process of preparing their second. (http://www.carbonplanet.com/definitions)
National
delegation
Non-Annex
I parties
Non-Annex
I Parties
Refers
to countries that have ratified or acceded to the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change that are not included in Annex I of the
Convention. (http://www.carbonplanet.com/definitions)
Non-governmental
organizations (NGOs)
Organizations
that are not part of a governmental structure. They include environmental
groups, research institutions, business groups, and associations of urban and
local governments. Many NGOs attend climate talks as observers. To be
accredited to attend meetings under the Convention, NGOs must be non-profit.
(http://www.carbonplanet.com/definitions)
Non-paper
An
in-session document issued informally to facilitate negotiations. A non-paper
does not have an official document symbol. It may have an identifying number or
carry the name of its author. (http://www.carbonplanet.com/definitions)
Non-Party
Observers
Agencies,
non-governmental organizations, and Governments not Parties to the Convention
which are permitted to attend, but not vote, at meetings of the COP and its
subsidiary bodies. Observers may include the United Nations and its specialized
agencies; other intergovernmental organizations such as the International
Atomic Energy Agency; and accredited non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
(http://www.carbonplanet.com/definitions)
OECD�
Party�
A
state (or regional economic integration organization such as the European
Union) that agrees to be bound by a treaty and for which the treaty has entered
into force. (http://www.carbonplanet.com/definitions)
Party
Payments
for Environmental Services (PES)
Peatlands
Permanence
Planted
forest
Plenary�
Policies
and measures (PAMs)
A
frequently used phrase � sometimes abbreviated as PAMs �
referring to the steps taken or to be taken by countries to reduce
greenhouse-gas emissions under the UNFCCC and the Kyoto Protocol. Some possible
policies and measures are listed in the Protocol and could offer opportunities
for intergovernmental cooperation. (http://www.carbonplanet.com/definitions)
President�
The
official of a member government elected by the Parties to preside over the COP.
The President is often a senior official or minister from the state or region
hosting the meeting. The President may not participate in the negotiations as a
representative of the member government during the term of presidency. (http://www.carbonplanet.com/definitions)
Protocol
An
international agreement linked to an existing convention, but as a separate and
additional agreement which must be signed and ratified by the Parties to the
convention concerned. Protocols typically strengthen a convention by adding
new, more detailed commitments. (http://www.carbonplanet.com/definitions)
Quantified
Emissions Limitation and Reduction Commitments (QELROs)
Legally binding targets and timetables under the Kyoto Protocol for the
limitation or reduction of greenhouse-gas emissions by developed countries.
(http://www.carbonplanet.com/definitions)
Ratification�
Formal
approval, often by a Parliament or other national legislature, of a convention,
protocol, or treaty, enabling a country to become a Party. Ratification is a
separate process that occurs after a country has signed an agreement. The instrument
of ratification must be deposited with a "depositary" (in the case of
the Climate Change Convention, the UN Secretary-General) to start the countdown
to becoming a Party (in the case of the Convention, the countdown is 90 days).
(http://www.carbonplanet.com/definitions)
Readiness
Recommendation
REDD-plus
Reduced
impact logging (RIL)
Reducing
emissions from deforestation (RED)
Reducing
emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD)
REDD
refers to mechanisms currently being negotiated under the UNFCCC process to
reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation. REDD may refer to a
broad set of approaches and actions that will achieve this, but the core idea
is to create performance-based mechanisms that reward projects or countries
that produce emission reductions. (http://www.scidev.net/en/climate-change-and-energy/definitions).
Reforestation
Reforestation
is the human-induced conversion of non-forested land to forested land through
planting or seeding on land that was once forested, but has been converted to
non-forested land. In the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol,
reforestation activities have been defined as reforestation of lands that were
not forested on 31 December 1989, but have had forest cover at some point
during the past 50 years. (http://www.scidev.net/en/climate-change-and-energy/definitions).
Reforestation
Regional
groups
Alliances
of countries, in most cases sharing the same geographic region, which meet
privately to discuss issues and nominate bureau members and other officials for
activities under the Convention. The five regional groups are Africa, Asia,
Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), Latin America and the Caribbean (GRULAC), and
the Western Europe and Others Group (WEOG). (http://www.carbonplanet.com/definitions)
Registries,
registry systems
Electronic
databases that will track and record all transactions under the Kyoto
Protocol's greenhouse-gas emissions trading system (the "carbon
market") and under mechanisms such as the Clean Development Mechanism.
(http://www.carbonplanet.com/definitions)
Removal
unit (RMU)
A
Kyoto Protocol unit equal to 1 metric tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent. RMUs
are generated in Annex I Parties by LULUCF activities that absorb carbon
dioxide. (http://www.carbonplanet.com/definitions)
Research
and systematic observation
An
obligation of Parties to the Climate Change Convention; they are called upon to
promote and cooperate in research and systematic observation of the climate
system, and called upon to aid developing countries to do so. (http://www.carbonplanet.com/definitions)
Reservation
An
exception or concern noted for the record by a Party in the course of accepting
a decision of the COP. No reservations are allowed to the Convention itself, or
to the Protocol. (http://www.carbonplanet.com/definitions)
Reservoirs�
A
component or components of the climate system where a greenhouse gas or a
precursor of a greenhouse gas is stored. Trees are "reservoirs" for
carbon dioxide. (http://www.carbonplanet.com/definitions)
Resolution
Directives
that guide the work of the COP � opinions rather than permanent
legal acts. Unlike decisions, resolutions do not generally become part of the
formal body of legislation enacted by the COP. (http://www.carbonplanet.com/definitions)
Reverse
leakage
Review
of commitments
Regular
scrutiny by Convention Parties of the adequacy of the treaty's Article 4.2 (a)
and (b) outlining developed country commitments to limit greenhouse-gas
emissions. The first review took place at COP-1 and led to a finding that
progress was not "adequate" �
and so to negotiations that led to the Kyoto Protocol, which has more stringent
commitments for developed countries.
Rio
Conventions
Three
environmental conventions, two of which were adopted at the 1992 "Earth
Summit" in Rio de Janeiro: the United Nations Framework Convention on
Climate Change (UNFCCC), and the Convention on Biodiversity (CBD), while the
third, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), was
adopted in 1994. The issues addressed by the three treaties are related
in particular, climate change can have adverse effects on desertification and
biodiversity and through a Joint Liaison Group,
the secretariats of the three conventions take steps to coordinate activities
to achieve common progress.
Roster
of experts
Experts
nominated by Parties to the Climate Change Convention to aid the Secretariat in
work related to review of national reports of Annex I Parties, preparation of
reports on adaptation technology, the transfer of technology to developing
countries, and the development of know-how on mitigating and adapting to climate
change.
Rules
of procedure
The
parliamentary rules that govern the procedures of the COP, covering such
matters as decision-making and participation. The COP has not yet formally
adopted rules of procedure, but all except one (on voting) are currently being
"applied."
Second
Assessment Report (SAR)
An
extensive review of worldwide research on climate change compiled by the IPCC
and published in 1995. Some 2,000 scientists and experts participated. The
report is also known as Climate Change 1995. The SAR concluded that "the
balance of evidence suggests that there is a discernible human influence on
global climate." It also said "no-regrets options" and other
cost-effective strategies exist for combating climate change.
Secretariat
The
office staffed by international civil servants responsible for
"servicing" the UNFCCC Convention and ensuring its smooth operation.
The secretariat makes arrangements for meetings, compiles and prepares reports,
and coordinates with other relevant international bodies. The Climate Change
Secretariat, which is based in Bonn, Germany, is institutionally linked to the
United Nations.
Signature
The
signing by a head of state or government, a foreign minister, or other
designated official indicating a country's agreement with an adopted
international text, such as a Convention or Protocol, and signalling the
country's intention of becoming a Party to the agreement.
Sink
Any
process, activity or mechanism which removes a greenhouse gas, an aerosol or a
precursor of a greenhouse gas from the atmosphere. Forests and other vegetation
are considered sinks because they remove carbon dioxide through photosynthesis.
Special
Climate Change Fund (SCCF)
The
SCCF was established to finance projects relating to adaptation; technology
transfer and capacity building; energy, transport, industry, agriculture,
forestry and waste management; and economic diversification. This fund
should complement other funding mechanisms for the implementation of the
Convention. The Global Environment Facility (GEF), as the entity that
operates the financial mechanism of the Convention, has been entrusted to
operate this fund.
"Spill-over effects"
Reverberations
in developing countries caused by actions taken by developed countries to cut
greenhouse-gas emissions. For example, emissions reductions in developed
countries could lower demand for oil and thus international oil prices, leading
to more use of oil and greater emissions in developing nations, partially
off-setting the original cuts. Current estimates are that full-scale
implementation of the Kyoto Protocol may cause 5 to 20 per cent of emissions
reductions in industrialized countries to "leak" into developing
countries.
Square
brackets
Typographical
symbols : placed around text under
negotiation to indicate that the language enclosed is being discussed but has
not yet been agreed upon.
Stern
Report/Review
The
Stern Report on the Economics of Climate Change was commissioned by the British
government and published in 2006. Written by the economist Lord Stern of
Brentford, it discusses the effect of climate change and global warming on the
world economy.
Subsidiary
body
A
committee that assists the conference of the parties. Two permanent ones are
defined by the Convention on Climate Change: the Subsidiary Body for
Implementation (SBI) and the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological
Advice (SBSTA).
Subsidiary
body
�A
committee that assists the Conference of the Parties. Two permanent subsidiary
bodies are created by the Convention: the Subsidiary Body for Implementation
(SBI) and the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA).
COP-1 also established two temporary bodies: the Ad hoc Group on the Berlin
Mandate, which concluded its work on 30 November 1997, and the Ad hoc group on
Article 13. Additional subsidiary bodies may be established as needed.
Subsidiary
Body for Implementation (SBI)
The
SBI makes recommendations on policy and implementation issues to the COP and,
if requested, to other bodies.
Subsidiary
Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA)
The
SBSTA serves as a link between information and assessments provided by expert
sources (such as the IPCC) and the COP, which focuses on setting policy.
Sustainable
development
Development
that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs.
Technology
transfer A broad set of processes covering the flows of know-how,
experience and equipment for mitigating and adapting to climate change among
different stakeholders.
Third
Assessment Report (TAR) The
third extensive review of global scientific research on climate change,
published by the IPCC in 2001. Among other things, the report stated that
"The Earth's climate system has demonstrably changed on both global and
regional scales since the pre-industrial era, with some of these changes
attributable to human activities. There is new and stronger evidence that most
of the warming observed over the last 50 years is attributable to human
activities." The TAR also focused on the regional effects of climate change.
Track-
two JI One of two
approaches for verifying emission reductions or removals under joint
implementation, whereby each JI project is subject to verification procedures
established under the supervision of the Joint Implementation Supervisory
Committee. Track two procedures require that each project by reviewed by an
accredited independent entity.
Umbrella
group
A
loose coalition of non-European Union developed countries formed following the
adoption of the Kyoto Protocol. Although there is no formal membership list,
the group usually includes Australia, Canada, Iceland, Japan, New Zealand,
Norway, the Russian Federation, Ukraine, and the United States.
UNCCD United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification
UNCED
United Nations Conference on
Environment and Development.
UNCTAD
United Nations Conference on Trade
and Development.
UNDP
United Nations Development Programme.
UNECE United Nations Economic Commission for Europe.
UNEP
United Nations Environment
Programme.
UNFCCC
United Nations Framework Convention
on Climate Change.
UNIDO
United Nations Industrial
Development Organization.
Uniform
report format A
standard format through which Parties submit information on activities implemented
jointly under the Convention.
United
Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) The international treaty signed at
the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in June
1992. The UNFCCC commits signatory countries to stabilise anthropogenic (i.e.
human-induced) greenhouse gas emissions to levels that would prevent dangerous
anthropogenic interference with the climate system. The UNFCCC also requires
that all signatory parties develop and update national inventories of
anthropogenic emissions of all greenhouse gases not otherwise controlled by the
Montreal Protocol.
UN-REDD
A collaborative programme for
reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing
countries, UN-REDD is operated by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO),
the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the United Nations
Environment Programme (UNEP). The programme has developed a multi-donor trust
fund (established July 2008) to pool resources and provide funding to REDD
activities. (http://www.scidev.net/en/climate-change-and-energy/definitions).
Voluntary
commitments
A
draft article considered during the negotiation of the Kyoto Protocol that
would have permitted developing countries to voluntarily adhere to legally
binding emissions targets. The proposed language was dropped in the final
phase of the negotiations. The issue remains important for some
delegations and may be discussed at upcoming sessions of the Conference of the
Parties.
Vulnerability
The
degree to which a system is susceptible to, or unable to cope with, adverse
effects of climate change, including climate variability and extremes.
Vulnerability is a function of the character, magnitude, and rate of climate
variation to which a system is exposed, its sensitivity, and its adaptive
capacity.
WCC
World Climate Conference.
WEOG
Western European and Others Group (United Nations regional group).
WHO
World Health Organization.
WMO
World Meteorological Organization.
WSSD
World Summit on Sustainable Development.
WTO
world trade organization
