Green Six Sigma

Chapter 2International and National Climate Change Initiatives

‘We must now agree on a binding review mechanism under international law, so that this century can be called the century of decarbonisation’

– Angela Merkel

2.1. Introduction

It was not until 1972 that environmental issues received serious attention from any national or international organisations. In June 1972 the first Earth Summit held in Stockholm adopted a declaration that set out principles for the preservation and enhancement of the human environment. The conference also proposed the establishment of stations to monitor long-term trends in atmospheric properties; however, at this stage, climate change was not the central preoccupation. Over the next two decades concerns for the global climate slowly gained traction and garnered international interest. From around the late 1980s global warming and the depletion of the ozone layer became increasingly prominent in the sphere of international public debate and a fixture on the political agenda, with the formation of the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) in 1988.

As a sense of urgency gained momentum and demands increased for stronger international action on climate change, the United Nations General Assembly decided to convene the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development. This summit was held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. The most significant event during the conference was the agreement of the United Nations Framework Convention ...