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Recognizing that environmental issues transcend political boundaries, the international community has come together for the purpose of forming a collective approach to problems plaguing our oceans, atmosphere, species and more. Below are brief summaries of the most significant meetings and treaties.
Stockholm Conference (1972)
Officially the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, the 1972 Stockholm Conference was the first major United Nations conference convened for the purpose of addressing international environmental concerns. With 113 countries and more than 400 governmental/non-governmental organizations represented, it is widely considered the birth of the modern international environmental movement.
United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (1973-1982)
Replacing four 1958 treaties, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) sets forth the rights and obligations of countries and business with respect to the oceans and management of marine resources. It also established the International Seabed Authority, which joined the ranks of earlier established organizations such as the International Maritime Organization and the International Whaling Commission.
Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer (1987)
A protocol, or update, to the 1985 Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer, this treaty was widely adopted for the purpose of phasing out the production and use of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs).
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and Convention on Biological Diversity (1992)
These two agreements arose out of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), also known as the Earth Summit, which was held in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992. The objective of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was to stabilize atmospheric greenhouse gas emissions; although the treaty contains no mandatory limits, it contemplates that such limits would be set in protocols.
The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is a legally binding treaty intended to promote sustainable biodiversity conservation.
Kyoto Protocol (1997)
With the goal of curbing climate change, nearly 40 industrialized and transitioning countries agreed under the Kyoto Protocol — supplementing the UNFCCC — to reduce their greenhouse and other gas emissions by 5.2% from 1990 levels. Notably, every country but the United States has both signed and ratified the treaty.
Johannesburg Declaration on Sustainable Development (2002)
In the path of its predecessor declarations made at the Stockholm Conference and UNCED, the Johannesburg Declaration was adopted at the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD); it extends beyond purely environmental problems and embodies a pledge to address a range of issues affecting sustainable development, including human trafficking, hunger, disease and more.
Copenhagen Accord (2009)
Drafted by Brazil, China, India, South Africa and the United States, the Accord is a non-legally binding document that acknowledges the significance of cimate change and endorses the Kyoto Protocol. While it states the goal of limiting global temperature increase to below two degrees Celsius, the Accord does not set specific emission reduction targets.
