The Climate Change Convention The United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Convention is the foundation of global
efforts to combat global warming. Opened for signature in 1992
at the Rio Earth Summit, its ultimate objective is the
"stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the
atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic
[ human-induced] interference with the climate system. Such a
level should be achieved within a time-frame sufficient to allow
ecosystems to adapt naturally to climate change, to ensure that
food production is not threatened and to enable economic
development to proceed in a sustainable manner." The Convention
sets out some guiding principles. The precautionary principle
says that the lack of full scientific certainty should not be
used as an excuse to postpone action when there is a threat of
serious or irreversible damage. The principle of the "common but
differentiated responsibilities" of states assigns the lead in
combating climate change to developed c