Call for Reforming the UNFCCC | 09 Jul 2025

Source: IE 

Why in News?

A renewed push to reform the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) process has gained traction ahead of 30th Conference of the Parties (COP) in Brazil (2025), amid concerns over its weak implementation, insufficient finance, and procedural inefficiencies. 

• Though proposals were discussed at the 2025 Bonn Conference, no consensus was reached. 

What is the Need for Reform in the UNFCCC Process? 

• Lack of Effectiveness: Despite decades of negotiations, global emissions continue to rise, and the process has not delivered the scale of action needed to limit warming to 1.5°C. 
• Voluntary Commitments: The Paris Agreement relies on nationally determined contributions (NDCs), which are not legally binding and often fall short of scientific recommendations. 
  • As of May 2025, only 21 countries (around 11%) have submitted their 2035 NDCs, raising concerns ahead of COP30 in Brazil. 
  • Even among those submitted, many lacked credible implementation plans (meaning they were ambitious on paper but vague or underfunded in practice). 
• Consensus-Based Decision-Making: Every decision under the UNFCCC must be agreed upon by all parties, giving each country effective veto power.  
  • This often leads to watered-down agreements to achieve consensus. 
  • Civil society groups have called for majority-based decision-making when consensus is elusive, but this remains controversial. 
• Inequity and Climate Justice Concerns: Small island states and least developed countries often feel sidelined, with their calls for climate justice and adaptation finance inadequately addressed. 
  • The failure of developed countries to meet their climate finance commitments and emission reduction targets has deepened mistrust. 
  • Small Island Developing States (SIDS), despite contributing less than 1% of global emissions, face severe climate impacts.  
    • Under a 2°C warming scenario, annual losses from extreme weather could reach USD 75 billion by 2050.  
• Credibility and Political Will: The US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement has undermined the credibility of the UNFCCC.. 
• Implementation Gaps:  The Kyoto Protocol faced major shortcomings as it exempted developing countries like China and India, weakening global emission reduction efforts. It led to a significant rise in global emissions, 44% increase by 2012 from 1997 levels. 
  • The Paris Agreement, though more inclusive, suffers from absence of enforceable timelines.  
  • The Loss and Damage Fund, meant to support vulnerable countries, remains underfunded, with developed nations showing reluctance to accept liability. 
  • COP28 (Dubai) lacked a clear timeline, binding mandates, and enforceable commitments to bridge the climate finance gap. 
• Fossil Fuel Influence: COP28 marked the first agreement acknowledging the need to transition away from fossil fuels. However, hosting COP meetings in countries heavily dependent on fossil fuels such as Dubai and Baku has raised concerns over conflicts of interest and greenwashing. 
• Insufficient Enforcement Mechanisms: Countries face no real consequences for failing to meet their commitments, which weakens accountability and undermines trust in the system. 

What is the UNFCCC? 

• About: The UNFCCC was adopted at the 1992 Rio Earth Summit and entered into force on 21st March 1994. 
  • As of now, the Convention has 198 Parties, making it nearly universal in membership. 
  • UNFCCC is one of the three Rio Conventions along with Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), and the United Nations convention to combat Desertification (UNCCD). 
    • These conventions are interconnected and supported by the Joint Liaison Group to ensure synergies in addressing global environmental challenges. 
• Objective: To stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous human interference with the climate system. 
• Core Principles: 
  • Common but Differentiated Responsibilities (CBDR): Developed countries, having contributed more historically to emissions, are expected to take the lead in reducing them and supporting developing nations. 
  • Equity: Recognizes the different capabilities and responsibilities of individual countries. 
• Institutional Structure 
  • COP: Supreme decision-making body. 
  • Subsidiary Bodies: Includes the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) and the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI). 
  • Secretariat: Based in Bonn, Germany, it supports the implementation of the Convention and its protocols. 
  • Global Innovation Hub: Launched in 2021, aims to promote transformative innovations for a low-emission and climate-resilient future. 
• Key Functions 
  • Negotiation Platform: Hosts annual Conferences of the Parties (COPs), where countries negotiate climate agreements and review progress. 
  • Monitoring and Reporting: Requires countries to submit regular reports on their emissions and climate actions. 
  • Financial and Technical Support: Facilitates funding and technology transfer to developing countries through mechanisms like the Green Climate Fund. 
• Major Agreements Under the UNFCCC: 
  • The Kyoto Protocol, adopted in 1997, is the only global treaty with legally binding targets for developed countries to cut greenhouse gas emissions. It aimed to reduce emissions by 5% below 1990 levels by 2012.  
    • India ratified it in 2002. It follows the principle of “common but differentiated responsibilities. 
  • Paris Agreement (2015) countries agreed to submit voluntary climate action plans (NDCs) to limit global warming to well below 2°C, ideally 1.5°C. 

What Reforms can be Adopted to Enhance the Effectiveness of the UNFCCC Process? 

• Proposal for Majority-Based Decision Making: Permit majority voting when consensus fails after a defined negotiation period. This would prevent obstruction by a few states and enable more ambitious outcomes. 
• Mandate Independent Review of NDC Implementation: Create an independent technical body under the UNFCCC to assess NDC credibility, track implementation, and publicly flag underperformance. 
  • This would introduce reputational accountability and technical rigor into the process. 
• Tie Climate Finance Access to Transparency and Results: Link disbursement of funds (e.g. from the Green Climate Fund) to transparent reporting and measurable progress on adaptation and mitigation.  
  • These reforms address structural inefficiencies and political bottlenecks in the UNFCCC process and, if implemented, could greatly improve its credibility, equity, and effectiveness. 
• Reframe Negotiations Around Human Needs:  Encourage shifting climate negotiations to a human needs-based framework, focusing on low-carbon solutions for housing, food, health, and mobility.  
  • Backed by the UNFCCC’s Global Innovation Hub, this approach aligns climate action with development justice and helps engage more developing countries. 
  • Negotiations are hindered by bloated agendas and lengthy statements. Streamlining agenda items, capping delegation sizes, and limiting speaking times can enhance efficiency in the UNFCCC process. 

Conclusion

The proposals for UNFCCC reform reflect growing frustration among developing countries and civil society groups. The need for greater efficiency, accountability, and adequate climate financing is evident, making COP30 a crucial platform to address these concerns. Strengthening the UNFCCC process through these reforms would enhance global cooperation and accountability essential for effectively tackling the climate crisis.