International
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change came into force in 1994 and requires developed countries to take measures aimed at returning emissions of greenhouse gases (in particular carbon dioxide) to 1990 levels by 2000 and to provide assistance to developing countries.
The Kyoto Protocol was adopted at the third Conference of Parties in 1997 and set a legally binding international target to cut greenhouse emissions by at least 5% below 1990 levels between 2008 and 2012. The Protocol came into force in 2005 and to date it has been ratified by 175 countries, each with their own set of targets to achieve the overall 5% reduction. A successor to the Kyoto Protocol will be under negotiation at Copenhagen during 2009.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has been established to provide scientific advice on climate change to policy markers. The main activity of the IPCC is to provide regular Assessment Reports of the state of knowledge on climate change. The latest (fourth) IPCC Assessment Report "Climate Change 2007", is available on the IPCC website.
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