Global Alliances for A Sustainable Future: Navigating International Environmental Treaties

ABSTRACT

International environmental agreements are legally binding contracts between countries for the management and preservation of the global environment. This article seeks to explore the history and significance of international environmental agreements, focusing on their key agreements and their role in shaping global environmental policy. By examining important agreements and their objectives, the article emphasizes the importance of global cooperation in addressing environmental challenges. Through an in-depth analysis, it will also highlight India’s involvement in these agreements, showcasing the country’s dedication to global environmental stewardship and sustainable development.

Keywords: Environmental issues, treaties, agreements, sustainable development, protection, convention.

INTRODUCTION

The need to confront worldwide environmental problems has reached an unprecedented level. Issues such as global warming, the loss of natural diversity, pollution, and the exhaustion of resources span beyond the limits of individual countries, necessitating a unified global effort. This is where international environmental agreements step in. These agreements, treaties, and conventions play a crucial role in encouraging worldwide collaboration to address environmental challenges, laying the groundwork for joint action and mutual accountability among nations. International environmental agreements are legally enforceable contracts negotiated among nations to oversee and safeguard the global environment. They are vital because many environmental issues cross national boundaries, demanding a collective international response. Problems like global warming, the decline of natural diversity, and pollution do not adhere to the borders of individual countries. Therefore, international agreements are crucial for effectively tackling these global issues. By advocating for sustainable practices, these agreements can also bring about economic advantages such as the creation of new eco-friendly jobs, advancements in technology, and more robust economies. Their main objectives include dealing with environmental issues that cross national lines, such as air and water pollution, climate change, and the loss of biodiversity, on a global scale. By harmonizing environmental protection with economic and social progress, treaties strive to promote sustainable practices that meet the needs of the present.

HISTORICAL CONTEXT

The origins of global environmental agreements can be traced back to the early 1900s when countries started to acknowledge the importance of working together to manage common resources and tackle environmental problems that crossed national borders. However, it took off in the latter part of the century as more people became aware of worldwide environmental challenges. Early efforts, such as the 1946 International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling and the 1911 Fur Seal Treaty, were focused on specific problems.[1] The creation of the United Nations in 1945 offered a stage for global collaboration on various matters, including environmental concerns. Several agreements were signed and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) was established as a result of the historic 1972 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm.[2] UNEP’s role is to facilitate the creation of environmental policy agreements by monitoring the global environment and highlighting new issues to governments and the international community for intervention. The goal of UNEP is to lead and promote cooperation in environmental protection by motivating, educating, and supporting countries and communities to enhance their living standards without endangering the well-being of future generations.

The 1980s and 1990s saw an increase in the number of Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) addressing a variety of environmental concerns Two notable examples are the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Montreal Protocol on pollutants that destroy the ozone layer. The late 20th and early 21st centuries were marked by a growing emphasis on climate change, which led to the establishment of the UNFCCC, the Kyoto Protocol, and the Paris Agreement.[3]

SIGNIFICANT INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL TREATIES

1. UNITED NATIONS FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE (UNFCCC)

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) stands as a fundamental global environmental agreement designed to tackle climate change by lowering the levels of greenhouse gases in the air. At the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, it was formally adopted. During the Summit, the treaty was made available for signatures, and it came into effect on March 21, 1994, following the necessary number of signatories. The main goal of the UNFCCC is to keep the levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere stable enough to avoid harmful human-induced changes to the climate system.

The UNFCCC includes several key elements, such as the concept of Common but Differentiated Responsibilities (CBDR), which acknowledges varying abilities and duties based on a country’s level of development, and the mandate for nations to disclose their emissions of greenhouse gases and their climate initiatives. Additionally, the treaty established financial support systems, like the Global Environment Facility (GEF), to assist developing nations and encourage the transfer of technology and the building of capacity. The UNFCCC’s administrative structure includes the Conference of the Parties (COP), the primary forum that convenes annually, and other supporting entities like the SBSTA and SBI, which offer expert advice and manage the implementation of the treaty. Major achievements under the UNFCCC include the Kyoto Protocol (1997) which established legally binding emission reduction targets for developed nations, and the Paris Agreement (2015) which seeks to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius, to keep it below 1.5 degrees Celsius, by requiring countries to establish and report on their climate change objectives through Nationally Determined Contributions (NDGs).[4]

• KYOTO PROTOCOL (1997)

The Kyoto Protocol is a treaty that expands the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), committing its signatories to cut greenhouse gas emissions, grounded on the scientific consensus that global warming is real and human-induced CO2 emissions are a major cause. Adopted in Kyoto, Japan, on December 11, 1997, and taking effect on February 16, 2005, the treaty legally obligates developed nations, known as Annex I countries, to adhere to emission reduction targets, acknowledging that these nations have historically been the largest emitters of greenhouse gases. Carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and Sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) are the six greenhouse gases for which the Protocol set explicit reduction targets. The initial commitment period spanned from 2008 to 2012, to achieve a collective reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by at least 5% below 1990 levels.

The Kyoto Protocol includes numerous important instruments, such as emissions trading, the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), and Joint Implementation (JI), to help countries achieve their commitments at a reasonable cost.[5] Emissions Trading permits countries with excess emission allowances to sell them to those exceeding their targets. Through the CDM, rich countries can fund projects in poor countries to reduce emissions and earn credits for their efforts.[6] Joint Implementation enables developed countries to earn credits by financing emission reduction projects in other developed nations.

The Protocol was extended to a second commitment period from 2013 to 2020 and new targets were set for participating countries with the adoption of the Doha Amendment in 2012. The amendment must be ratified by a sufficient number of nations, though, for it to become effective. The creation of a carbon credit market and adaptable emission reduction methods are the main contributions of the Kyoto Protocol. Its impact cleared the path for the Protocol’s successor, the Paris Agreement, which sought to keep global warming far below 2°C and included more stakeholders and more inclusive goal-setting. The Kyoto Protocol’s emphasis on market mechanisms and legally binding targets is still a major turning point in global climate policy.

• PARIS AGREEMENT (2015)

The Paris Agreement stands as a pivotal global pact, ratified at the COP21 in Paris on December 12, 2015, under the auspices of the UNFCCC, garnering the signatures of 196 nations. Its essential objective is to cap global warming underneath 2°C from pre-industrial levels, to constrain the rise to 1.5°C.[7] Distinct from the Kyoto Protocol, which imposed mandatory targets only on industrialized nations, the Paris Agreement mandates that all participating countries establish and communicate their climate objectives through Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), which are revised every five years with progressively more stringent goals. The agreement underscores the significance of both lessening greenhouse gas outflows and adjusting to the impacts of climate change, cultivating climate versatility.[8]

Its notable elements include an annual global review every five years to evaluate progress, financial assistance from developed nations to developing ones, and programs for enhancing capacity and technology sharing. A comprehensive transparency system ensures consistent reporting and oversight. The Paris Agreement has been commended for its inclusive strategy, engaging every nation in efforts to address climate change, yet it encounters obstacles such as the necessity for more ambitious pledges and uniform adherence. Nonetheless, it represents a significant milestone in the worldwide endeavor to combat climate change, aiming to protect the Earth for future generations.

• CONVENTION ON PERSISTENT ORGANIC POLLUTANTS IN STOCKHOLM (2001)

The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) is an international agreement signed in 2001 to safeguard human well-being and the natural world from chemicals that persistently remain in the environment, spread widely across different regions, accumulate in the bodies of animals and humans, and cause adverse effects on health or the environment. This treaty, which came into effect on May 17, 2004, initially focused on 12 POPs, often referred to as the “dirty dozen,” including pesticides such as DDT, industrial chemicals like PCBs, and by-products such as dioxins.[9]

The treaty obliges signatories to implement strategies to minimize or eliminate the release of POPs into the environment. This involves banning the production and use of certain POPs, imposing restrictions on others, and adopting measures to reduce or eliminate accidental releases. It also requires the proper management and disposal of POP waste, as well as the creation of action plans to identify and remediate contaminated areas.

A notable aspect of the Stockholm Convention is its flexibility, which permits the addition of new chemicals to the list of substances under control. The treaty’s success is bolstered by provisions for financial and technical support to assist developing nations and countries undergoing economic transitions in meeting its objectives. The convention also highlights the importance of public awareness and education, encouraging research and monitoring of POPs, and promoting global collaboration. The Conference of the Parties (COP) meets on a regular basis to review progress, revise the list of POPs, and discuss matters pertaining to their implementation.

The Stockholm Convention stands as a significant global initiative to tackle the pervasive and enduring issue of POPs, to protect both current and future generations from their detrimental impacts. Despite advancements, obstacles persist in ensuring adherence to the treaty and in broadening its coverage to include new POPs.

• THE RAMSAR CONVENTION ON WETLANDS, 1971

An international agreement known as the Convention on Wetlands was signed on February 2, 1971, in the Iranian city of Ramsar, which is located on the southern coast of the Caspian Sea.[10] It is one of the most seasoned worldwide intergovernmental treaties and started in the 1960s with the acknowledgment of the critical ought to defend wetland living spaces and the species that depend upon both inland coastal and nearshore marine frameworks. The official name of the settlement, “The Tradition on Wetlands of Universal Significance particularly as Waterfowl Habitat”, reflects the first accentuation upon the preservation and astute utilization of wetlands essentially as living space for water-feathered creatures. These days, the convention is commonly referred to as the “Ramsar Convention” even though its official title is “Convention of Wetlands (Ramsar, Iran, 1971)”. It is the first global agreement of the modern era about the maintenance and sustainable use of shared resources. The mission of the Ramsar Tradition, as embraced by the parties in 1999 and refined in 2002, is “the preservation and shrewd utilization of all wetlands through neighborhood, territorial and national activities and universal participation, as a commitment towards accomplishing economic advancement all through the world.”

The settlement was marked to address the disturbing rate of wetland misfortune and debasement around the world. Wetlands were frequently seen as badlands to be drained or filled for agribusiness, urban improvement, or other purposes, causing noteworthy biodiversity misfortune and the disturbance of biological system administrations. The reason for the Convention is to assign and oversee wetlands of worldwide importance, known as Ramsar Destinations, guaranteeing their environmental character is kept up and reestablished where fundamental. Advancing the economic utilization of all wetlands through coordinated arrival and water asset administration, which bolsters human well-being and biodiversity preservation. 

• BONN CONVENTION ON THE CONSERVATION OF MIGRATORY SPECIES OF WILD ANIMALS, 1979

The convention of the conservation of migratory species of wild creatures was embraced on 23-06-1979 at Bonn, Germany, and it came into constrain on 01-11-1983. The essential point of the convention is to guarantee the preservation and maintainable utilization of transitory species of wild creatures and their living spaces. It addresses the preservation needs of these species all through their transient courses, frequently crossing numerous national boundaries.

The Bonn convention was marked in reaction to the developing acknowledgment that transient species are especially helpless due to their dependence on numerous environments over diverse nations. Numerous transitory species were encountering populace decay due to living space annihilation, climate alteration, contamination, chasing, and other human-induced dangers. The convention was set up to encourage worldwide participation and facilitated activities to secure these species and their territories.

The reason for the convention is to advance participation among nations that share transient species. This incorporates planning endeavors to moderate species and their environments along the complete transitory course. Executing particular preservation, measures for transitory species that are in threat of termination and those that would essentially benefit from worldwide participation. To encourage the advancement of lawfully authoritative understandings and activity plans custom-fitted to the preservation needs of particular species or bunches of species.

INDIA’S PARTICIPATION IN INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL TREATIES

India has been a dynamic member of various universal natural settlements, illustrating its commitment to tending to worldwide natural challenges and advancing feasible advancement. India’s inclusion ranges from different key assertions pointed at combating climate alteration, ensuring biodiversity, and controlling contamination.

India may be a signatory to the UNFCCC, which it approved in 1993. As a creating nation, India isn’t committed to obligatory emanation decreases beneath the tradition but has effectively taken part in transactions and submitted National Communications enumerating its nursery gas outflows and moderation endeavors. India approved the Kyoto Convention in 2002. Even though it was not required to cut emanations beneath this arrangement, India profited from the Clean Advancement Component (CDM). The CDM permitted India to have ventures that reduce emissions in trade for Certified Emanation Diminishments (CERs), which might be sold to created nations. India played a significant part in the definition and appropriation of the Paris Understanding in 2015. The nation committed to a Broadly Decided Commitment (NDC), pointing to diminish the emanations escalated of its GDP by 33-35% from 2005 levels by 2030, accomplishing 40% of its introduced electric control capacity from non-fossil fuel sources, and making an extra carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tons of CO2 comparable through expanded woodland and tree cover. India has created a comprehensive National Biodiversity Activity Arrange and ordered the Organic Differences Act in 2002 to execute its commitments beneath the CBD. India also showed its leadership in international efforts to protect biodiversity in 2012 by hosting the 11th Conference of the Parties (COP-11) at the CBD in Hyderabad.[11]

India confirmed the Stockholm Tradition in 2006, committing to dispose of or confine the generation and utilization of POPs. India has attempted measures to stage out the utilization of POPs like DDT in agribusiness and mechanical applications, advance the safe disposal of POP squander, and create activity plans to oversee contaminated sites. India’s cooperation within the Stockholm Tradition highlights its endeavors to control and kill hurtful chemicals to ensure human well-being and the environment.

India’s adherence to sustainable development methods and collaboration in tackling global environmental issues is evidenced by its ratification of international environmental treaties. In addition to strengthening national policies and initiatives to safeguard the environment and provide a sustainable future for its population, India’s participation in these treaties contributes to global environmental governance.

CHALLENGES AND FUTURE DISCRETIONS

Global environmental agreements are key in tackling worldwide environmental problems, yet putting these agreements into action faces numerous obstacles. It’s crucial to understand these obstacles and look toward future strategies to enhance the impact of these agreements and reach environmental sustainability.

A primary obstacle is making sure countries follow through on their treaty commitments. A lot of agreements depend on countries voluntarily reporting and evaluating their progress, which can result in uneven application and differing degrees of dedication. The ability to enforce these agreements is often weak, and there are big differences among countries in their resources and capabilities to fulfill treaty demands. It’s vital to improve the systems for ensuring compliance, increase oversight, and introduce stronger consequences for not following through.

Getting enough money and resources to carry out global environmental agreements is another big hurdle. Developing nations, in particular, struggle with financial limitations that make it hard for them to fulfill their treaty duties. Although financial support and funds like the Green Climate Fund from the Paris Agreement exist, there are persistent problems with how these resources are distributed, received, and used. It’s important to boost financial aid and make sure these resources are used wisely and fairly to meet treaty objectives.

Global environmental agreements may also move more slowly in response to political and economic difficulties.[12] National priorities, political turmoil, and economic interests often influence a country’s dedication to environmental commitments. For instance, pressures from industries and economies can make it difficult for countries to implement strict environmental laws or shift to eco-friendly practices. To break through these challenges, there needs to be a strong political will, public education, and rewards that are in line.

CONCLUSION

Treaties about the environment at the international level are essential for tackling environmental issues worldwide and advancing sustainable development. They promote international collaboration, strike a balance between economic expansion and environmental preservation, and are essential in controlling pollution, preventing climate change, and preserving biodiversity. These accords assist governments in addressing difficult environmental problems that cut across national boundaries by establishing standards and encouraging cooperative efforts.
The success of these agreements depends on how well they are implemented. To achieve this, it will be necessary to remove political and economic obstacles, increase financing, and improve compliance and enforcement measures. Strong international cooperation and adherence to these treaties are necessary to conserve the environment for current and future generations. Ensuring that international environmental agreements result in significant and long-lasting environmental gains requires the combined efforts of all governments.

References

[1] ‘Northern Fur Seal | NOAA Fisheries’ <https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/northern-fur-seal> accessed 4 August 2024.

[2] ‘United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, Stockholm 1972 | United Nations’ <https://www.un.org/en/conferences/environment/stockholm1972> accessed 4 August 2024.

[3] Narayan Bista and Ravi Rathore, ‘Environmental Movement: A Global Conservation Effort’ <https://www.educba.com/environmental-movement/> accessed 4 August 2024.

[4] ‘What Is the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)?’ (Grantham Research Institute on climate change and the environment, 24 October 2022) <https://www.lse.ac.uk/granthaminstitute/explainers/what-is-the-un-framework-convention-on-climate-change-unfccc/> accessed 4 August 2024.

[5] ‘CDM: About CDM’ <https://cdm.unfccc.int/about/index.html> accessed 4 August 2024.

[6] Stephanie Hodge ‘Part 14: Understanding Climate Finance: History, Funds, and Access’ (Linkdein, 19 June 2023) <https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/part-14-understanding-climate-finance-history-funds-access-hodge> accessed 4 August 2024.

[7] Rui Ma et al., ‘FAQ Chapter 1 — Global Warming of 1.5 ^oC’ <https://www.ipcc.ch/sr15/faq/faq-chapter-1/> accessed 4 August 2024.

[8] ‘From Crisis to Resilience: Strengthening Climate Action in OECD Countries through Environmental Policy and Energy Transition – PMC’, (NCBI, 26 October 2023) <https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10682128/> accessed 4 August 2024.

[9] ‘Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants | IISD Earth Negotiations Bulletin’ <https://enb.iisd.org/articles/Stockholm-convention> accessed 4 August 2024.

[10] ‘About the Convention on Wetlands | The Convention on Wetlands, The Convention on Wetlands’ <https://www.ramsar.org/about-convention-wetlands> accessed 4 August 2024.

[11] ‘COP 11’ <https://www.cbd.int/cop11> accessed 4 August 2024.

[12] Sulan Chen et al., ‘The Beginning of the End for Plastics Pollution?, (United Nations Development Programme, 6 February 2024) <https://www.undp.org/blog/beginning-end-plastics-pollution> accessed 4 August 2024.