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302 Cononeas
2d Session SENATE ee
102-85
UNITED NATIONS FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON
CLIMATE CHANGE
crousn (legislative day, Serresanen 50), 1992.—Ondered tebe printed
Mr, Patt, from the Committee on Foreign Relations,
submitted the following
REPORT
{Fo accompany Trenty Doe. 100-88)
Ths, Committee on Foreign Relations to which was referred the
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, edopt-
9, 1992, by the Resumed Fifth Session of the Intergovern-
ent al N ‘Committee for a Framework Convention on
Fs icgrwention"), and signed ow behalf of the United
State at the Inited Nations Conference on Environment and
‘yelopment (UNED) in Rio de Janeiro on June 12, 1992, hat
the same, reports favorably thereon without am
and recommends that the Senate give ite advice and’ consent to
ratification thereof.
‘The purpose of tho Convention is to establish a global framework
for assessing and responding to climate change.
IL, Mason Provisions
‘The objective of the Convention is to stabilize greenhouse gax
concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that woulé prevent
dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system. 2
ithin this context, the Convention stipulates that this level
Misti “bo sclavod tin @ Binttane siden: o aloe come
tems to adapt naturally to climate change, to ensure that food pro.
ietion is not threntened, and to, enable sconce development to
proceed in @ sustainable manner.” To this end, the Convention es-
Esblishes framework for addressing climate change issues rath
differentiated obligations among developed countries, developed
countries with economies in transition (Bastern Buropean countries
and the newly independent states of the former Union of Sovist So-
ciglist Republica, developing countries, and least developed coun:
ee
The Convention applies to all house gases, except those con-
tzolled by the Montreal Protocal on Substances that Deplete the
‘Ozone Layer, such as chiorofluorocarbons and halons.
“The Convention sommite all parties to develop and make avail
able national inventories ‘of anthropogenic ermtsione. by’ sourgas
‘nd removals by sinks ofall greenhouse gazes. Developed counties
‘must submit this report within € months of the Convention's entry
into force, developing countries rust do so within years of entry
into force, and least developed countries may do so at their discre-
tion, The reports are expected to contribute to the development of
‘ational plans to mitigate and adapt to climate change and more
Accurate Rudy of greenhouse gos envsaions,
fain. de Coeenton coma parte to frmulate in.
meni, and publish national or regional program to miigaié
mate change. Article 4.2. of the Convention requires developed
country" parties including Bastern- European countries and te
newly independent statoe, to adopt policise and plement moa.
ures to mitigate climate ‘change by" Limiting. emisders Of geese
houe eres and onhancing sible ‘and reserolre, The provison
noles that returning to earlier levols of greenhouse ges Canine
ty eral the decade woul contribute to madi he lenge
term trends in anthropogenic emissions consistent with the objec
lof the Govention
ticle 4.2b establishes an additional reporting requirement for
woloped country parties, including those with economies in tran.
Sitio, reauiring them to teport on nationel jplcien and asia,
pursuant article 4.2.a, and on th -ojected im
these measures on net emissions up to the end of ire geonee wit
the ai of returning these emai fo the 1980 levels Ths in
is in the reporting section of article 43 and ie not ing.
2arlred panty pat are report within te fares of Oe
avention’s entry into force and peviodically thereattes,
‘The, Convention commits developed country parties excluding
the Eastern European countries and the “newly independent
sate to abril devlopcg sountey paris in meeting corti
ti the treaty. The Convention commits these partics to
vide new and additional fi vresou
cone tional financi Foes to meet the agreed
developing countries in preparing thelr national it~
ng spurecr and yoneral Sern ota
ill take to implement the Convention. It is ex-
inancial obligation will be met both through bilat-
lateral assistance channels. The administration e&ti
‘mates that the total cost for preparing these studies will be on the a
order of $100 million, The United States has committed $28 million
for this purpooe aver a 2-year period beginning in fical year 1998,
‘in addition, the developed scuntries commit to provide financial
resources needed by developing countries to meet the agreed full
incremental corts of implementing mecaures in article 4{-~includ-
ing formulation of national and regional plans to reduce emlasions
and enhenco sinks, promotion of sustainable management plans for
the impacs of ciate changer ibet are naeed Rengets den liog
‘imate chango—that are agreed between developing
countries and the financial mechanism defined in the Convention
‘The Convention defines a financial mechanism to provide finan:
cial resources on o grant or concessional basis. The mechanism will
fanction under the guidancs of and be accountable to the Conf
ence of the Parties hich shall decide ot oll, program
srities, and eligilty eriteria related to. the Convention. the
Global! Environment” Facility—a joint enterprise of the World
Banke, the United Nations Development Prograny and the United
Nations Environment Programme-—ie designated as the interna
Sonal mechaniam on an interim basie. (The OOF ie designated as
the “interim methanism beestuse it currently a Syear pilot pro-
gram and because the parties | details of ongoing
Festructuring efforts. If as expected, the CE is continued, i would
key come the permanent nancial mechan fr the Conven-
on,
"The Convention also establishes an institutional structure for im-
plementing i, proviina in addon tp the financial mechani
Jast dese “fuprerae body” of the treaty is the Conference
of the Parties, which reviews the implementation of the Conven-
tion ‘and adopix measures to promote effective implementation. A
secretariat in established to provide administrative euppart to the
Conference of the Parties. A gubsidiary body for eclentiffe and techy
ological advice fs established to provide the Confererca of the Far.
ties with information and advies on scientific and. technological
‘alters. The main body for eclntifc and tachaical assesemente on
glimate change tere wl continue fo be fhe IPCC. The uber
{ody will act's a lisison between the IPCC, the World Meteoralogt-
al Organization and other related climate research organiaations
and the Conference of the Parties. A subsidiary body for implemen
tation is eotablished to anviot the Conference of tho Partice in ae
ind reviewing the implementation of the Convention, Ne
the two nubatdiary bodies, nor the Secretarial, have doot
sionmaking power, this reste with the Conference of the Parties,
“The Convention provides for periodic review of evolving scientific
information on ebmate change and of measures taken to implo-
iment the Convention. It allows parties to negotiate modifications ot
Siional comment, tothe extent ey doom thom nestesry
spproprs
"The Couvention defers e number of issues to be resolved by the
Conference of the Parties in its fir meting, ‘These include: rules
of procedure which tout be adopted by coneenss, methodologies
for” calculating national” inventories of groeahouse gas. soUrees,
sta and reve nthology or amesing te pact of de
loped country parties plans to reduce bet greenhouse gas emis:
woek'G Gacchakibe for promoting research afd data collection on 4
climate change; and o host of institutional iaaues such as the size
fia repeeventalion on the bodies erented by the Convention,
111. Bacuerounn
‘THE SCIENCE,
A variety of factors affect the Earth's climate by altering ita ra
aiaive balgnce which fs the balance between incoming solar ati
alo un st ced Ther stars ead the cena of
preeninouad” guses in the atmosphere: the intensity of incident
sine radiation the amount of pardculate material she Barts
Stiraperes and te Barth's reflectivity, including clouds,
‘These factors can vary over swdely different tine sles, For i-
stance, during & period of 10,000 to 100,000 years, changes in the
Ears orbit alter the intensity of solar racigtion reabhing th
Earth with eonsequent implications for climate. Voleanie eruptions
Can cause wide, albeit, shortlved, fluctuations in the atmoepberic
concentration of wore
tie scent ration of grwenhoes” gaes alto ate inet
y the Barth's climate. Tose gaaco—ater vapor, carbon di
(CO,), methane (CRs, nitrous oxide (NOx, chlorefvorocaroone
{GPC and ovsne (0s)—are more transparent to incident sole: t=
diation than they are fo outgoing infrared radition or heat, At a
fesult they trap heat in o similar, but not identienl, fashion a8 @
freenbouse, Without thie naturally ooverring greenhouse effect,
fre-Barth's average temperature ould be yproninataly 25C
(GHP colder than ie is and considerably less hospitable to fe
Since the industrial revolution, human activities have increased
the concentration of greenhouse foses in tre mosphere, Tals does
bot include water vapor the congentration of which io determined
By the climate sysiom fcelf and, na gobal cea, i not dire
alfected by human activity. (Emissions of greentouse gases ©
By"human activity are commonly’ refered to as eahropogenic
hips 2200 the aumogrters constant Sen
tran $88 parts per milion by volume {ppn), roughly 25 peret
{enter tha tho 1.70 level roughly 260 ppv ene’ wae ioerear
fig at roughly 0. percent per years Over the sane period, mecsan