The Durban Climate Summit being held from November 28 to December 8, 2011 in South Africa where more than 194 countries come together to decide a climate abatement plan to combat climate change and reduce global emissions which is the main cause for drastically rising temperatures leading to changes in climate in the last century . With severe weather conditions taking place at an increasing pace around the world like storms, drought, floods etc. millions of lives are at risk and the need for climate action plan has never been greater than now. 

COP 17 has been faced with much criticism in the past few weeks following the summit. Environmental activists have little hope in a fair decision taking place and whether this summit will be different from the last ones. Emerging countries such as India, Brazil, South Africa and China trigger developed nations to set harder standards for a renewal treaty to take place due to their rising economy, leaving poorer nations most vulnerable to climate impact to face a loosing battle. The expiry date of Kyoto Protocol in 2012 makes things even worse, talks of a Climate Fund are still on the table and the Bali Action Plan has made North and South section of the world lock horns.

 

COP (Confederation of Parties) was introduced by the United Nation Framework Convention ON Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 1995 to form a framework for climate action for countries. This was to to introduce legally binding agreements to countries in taking a stand in reducing their carbon emission for the planets global security and combat the growing climate issue and threat.

Kyoto Protocol is a legally binding agreement introduced by UNFCCC in 1997. It is a contract which sets binding targets for a country’s carbon emission in an effort to reduce the impact of global warming and prevent climate change on Earth.

The difference of COP and Kyoto Protocol is that while the convention encourages nations to reduce their GHG emissions, the KP commits to do do and holds them accountable. It is hence a contract.

Kyoto came into action in 2005 and in 2011, 191 countries signed the Kyoto Protocol agreement which ends in 2012. This makes the Durban Climate Summit an even bigger challenge to decide on whether to extend the agreement or renew the Kyoto agreement.

The past century has been witness to rising global population, technology and energy levels which has resulted in an increase of green house gases and a substantial increase in temperature to dangerous levels. Irregular climate variations, melting of polar caps, increase in sea levels, severe droughts, storms and other weather conditions are signs that our future is threatened by a changing climate due to human induced activities. These global issues are threatening livelihoods, health, and the very survival of people around the world. The need for a united agreement on combating global warming and stopping an irreversible climate change is immediate. 

The key this COP summit is an agreement for a second five year plan of Kyoto Protocol which has to be signed by all nations. With this 2nd commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol and prospects for a global deal hanging in the balance there needs to be will to resolve to work boldly in Durban for a another commitment to period of the Kyoto Protocol to resolve the climate issue and turn the tables on global warming.