Climate change is one of the most important challenges facing humanity. Its adverse effects are visible and may be intensively exponentially over time without being done to reduce further emissions of greenhouse gases. Desperate deal with climate change NOW is the key to ensuring sustainable development, eliminating poverty and protecting economic growth. Scientific studies show that the cost of inaction now becomes more expensive in the future. Thus, economic growth must be transferred to a low-carbon emission path.
In 1992, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was adopted as the basis for a worldwide response to the problem. The Philippines signed the UNFCCC on June 12, 1992 and ratified the international agreement on August 2, 1994. At present, the Convention includes a close universal membership, with 194 Country Parties.
Recognizing that the climate system is a source of resources heavily affected by anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases, the UNFCCC has set a general framework for government efforts to consider what can be done to reduce global warming and to withstand any increase in temperature is unavoidable. Its ultimate goal is to stabilize greenhouse gas concentration in the environment at a level that avoids harmful human interference in the climate system.
States are actively discussing and debating ways to address the problem of climate change within the UNFCCC using two central procedures. The first task is to address the root cause by reducing greenhouse gas emissions from human activity. The way to achieve this is contradictory, because it requires radical changes in the way many societies are organized, especially regarding the use of fossil fuel, industrial operations, land use, and development. Within the climate change arena, the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions is called mitigation.
The second task of responding to climate change is to manage its effects. Environmental and social impacts on environment and society are inevitable, due to the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere from the past decades of industrial and other human activities, and the increased amount of ongoing performance over the next decade as long as policies and actions are effective. Therefore we are focusing on climate change. Taking steps to cope with changing climate conditions in both terms that reduces adverse effects and uses potential benefits is called adaptation.
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