United Nations Climate Change Conference

The United Nations Climate Change Conferences are yearly conferences held in the framework of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). They serve as the formal meeting of the UNFCCC parties—the conference of the parties (COP)—to assess progress in dealing with climate change, and beginning in the mid-1990s, to negotiate the Kyoto Protocol to establish legally binding obligations for developed countries to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. Starting in 2005 the conferences have also served as the "Conference of the Parties Serving as the Meeting of Parties to the Kyoto Protocol" (CMP); also parties to the convention that are not parties to the protocol can participate in protocol-related meetings as observers. From 2011 to 2015, the meetings were used to negotiate the Paris Agreement as part of the Durban platform, which created a general path towards climate action. Any final text of a COP must be agreed by consensus.

The first UN Climate Change Conference (COP 1) was held in 1995 in Berlin.

Role of climate change conferences

Member states of the UNFCCC meet annually at the Conference of the Parties (COP) to assess progress in combating climate change. COP provides a platform for governments, NGOs, and the private sector to collaborate and determine strategies for global climate policy and action. These conferences offer an opportunity to discuss climate governance measures, reduce carbon emissions, and promote the transition to more sustainable energy sources.

The UN Climate Change Conferences serve as key forums for shaping global policy, where representatives of various countries jointly address the reduction of global greenhouse gas emissions and support states in enhancing their resilience to climate impacts.