The document discusses several global environmental conventions aimed at protecting the environment and promoting sustainable development. It describes conventions related to wetlands (Ramsar, 1971), the environment (Stockholm, 1972), wildlife trade (CITES, 1973), ozone depletion (Vienna, 1985), hazardous waste (Basel, 1989), biodiversity (1992), climate change (UNFCCC, 1992), and persistent organic pollutants (Stockholm, 2001). The conventions establish frameworks for international cooperation, legally binding agreements, and protocols to address pressing environmental issues.

1. GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL
CONVENTIONS
VIJAI KRISHNAN V
M.Tech Student
RIT Kottayam

2. What is a CONVENTION ?What is a CONVENTION ?
“A meeting or formal assembly, of representatives or
delegates, for discussion and action on particular
matters of common concern”
◉ Need of GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL CONVENTIONS ?
o Protection of environment
o Promotion of sustainable development

3. TermsTerms
◉ Protocol/Agreement/Treaty
o A legally binding official written agreement
o Establishes rights and obligations b/w each party
◉ Ratification
o A state indicates its consent to be bound to a treaty
o To enact the necessary legislation to give domestic
effect to that treaty
o Universal ratification – 197 parties

4. List of ConventionsList of Conventions
◉ 1971 – Ramsar Convention
◉ 1972 – UN Conference on Human Environment,
Stockholm
◉ 1973 – Washington Convention
◉ 1985 – Vienna Convention
◉ 1989 – Basel Convention

5. ◉ 1992 – UN Conference on Environment &
Development (Earth Summit)
– Biodiversity Convention, Nairobi
– UN Framework Convention on Climate
Change, New York
◉ 1998 – Rotterdam Convention
◉ 2001 – Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic
Pollutants
◉ 2002 – World Summit on Sustainable Development,
Johannesburg, SA
◉ 2012 – United Nations Conference on Sustainable
Development, Rio
◉ 2016 – Paris Agreement

6. RamsarRamsar ConventionConvention –– 19711971
◉ “The Convention on Wetlands of International
Importance, especially as Waterfowl Habitat”,
Ramsar, Iran
◉ Also called “Convention on Wetlands”
◉ World Wetlands Day – Feb 2
◉ 169 contracting parties & 2266 Ramsar sites
◉ Mission:
o Conservation & wise use of wetlands & their resources

7. Stockholm ConferenceStockholm Conference –– 19721972
◉ First attempt to address inter-relationships of
environment and development at global level
◉ Marks the birth of International Environmental Policy
◉ Objectives:
o Recognize environmental education as a potential tool
to better the lives of many nations
o Engage the international community in environmental
policy debate
◉ Outcome:
o United Nations Environment Programme(UNEP)

8. ◉ Principles:
o Natural resources & wildlife must be safeguarded
o Renewable resources must be maintained
o Non-renewable resources must be shared & not
exhausted
o Pollution must not exceed environment’s capacity to
clean itself
o Prevent oceanic pollution
o Improve the environment & establish standards
o Environmental education & research
o Eliminate destructive weapons

9. CITES, WashingtonCITES, Washington –– 19731973
◉ “Convention on International Trade in Endangered
Species of Wild Fauna and Flora”
◉ International agreement to which States and regional
organizations adhere voluntarily
◉ Objective:
o To ensure that international trade in specimens of wild
animals and plants does not threaten their survival
◉ Protection to more than 35,000 species of animals
and plants
◉ 183 parties

10. ◉ Appendix – I (About 1000 species)
o Threatened with extinction or affected by trade
o Commercial trade is illegal
◉ Appendix – II (About 34,500 species)
o Not necessarily threatened with extinction, but may
become so unless trade is strictly regulated
o International trade is authorized by the granting
export permit
◉ Appendix – III (about 200 species)
o Species are not necessarily threatened with
extinction globally
o International trade is allowed only on presenting
appropriate permits or certificates

11. Vienna ConventionVienna Convention –– 19851985
◉ “The Vienna Convention for the
Protection of the Ozone Layer”
◉ First Convention to achieve universal ratification
◉ Objectives:
o To promote cooperation by systematic observations,
research and information exchange on the effects of
human activities on the ozone layer
o To adopt legislative or administrative measures
against activities likely to have adverse effects on the
ozone layer

12. ◉ Montreal Protocol – 1987
o Outcome of Vienna Convention
o Total elimination of Ozone depleting substances
o 197 parties
o To phase out production & consumption of CFCs
o Multilateral fund – developed countries contribute to
help developing countries to achieve control measures
o Ban on trade in designated ozone-depleting chemicals
o World Ozone Day – 16th September 2017

13. Basel ConventionBasel Convention –– 19891989
◉ “The Basel Convention on the Control of
Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and
their Disposal”
◉ 186 parties
◉ Objective:
o To protect human health and the environment against
the adverse effects of hazardous wastes
◉ Do not cover radio active wastes

14. UNCED, Rio de JaneiroUNCED, Rio de Janeiro –– 19921992
◉ National & international policies redirected towards
integration of environmental, economic &
development objectives
◉ International community agreed on a plan of action
on sustainable development
◉ Largest environmental conference - 172 parties

15. ◉ The Summit’s message, “nothing less than a
transformation of our attitudes and behavior would
bring about the necessary changes”
◉ Issues addressed:
o Systematic scrutiny of patterns of production
o Alternative sources of energy to replace fossil fuels
o New reliance on public transportation systems
o Awareness and concern over scarcity of water

16. ◉ Principles:
o Meet environmental & developmental needs
o Healthy & productive life in harmony with nature
o Peace, development & environmental protection are
interdependent & indivisible
o Polluter should bear cost of pollution
o Participation of all citizens
o EIA for proposed activities
o States have responsibility to protect environment

17. ◉ Outcome:
o Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD)
o Agenda 21
o Declaration on Environment & Development
o Forest Principles
o Bio-diversity Convention
o Framework Convention on Climate Change
o Convention to Combat Desertification, Paris

18. Convention on Biological DiversityConvention on Biological Diversity –– 19921992
◉ To develop national strategies for conservation &
sustainable use of biological diversity
◉ Multilateral treaty – 196 parties
◉ Objectives:
o Conservation of biological diversity
o Sustainable use of the components of biological
diversity
o Fair and equitable sharing of the benefits
◉ International year of Biodiversity – 2010
◉ UN Decade on Biodiversity  2011-2020

19. ◉ Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety , 2000
o Ensure the safe handling, transport and use of living
modified organisms
o Protect biological diversity from the potential risks
posed by genetically modified organisms
o Advance Informed Agreement
o Biosafety Clearing-House
o 171 parties

20. UNFCCCUNFCCC –– 19921992
◉ Near-universal membership
◉ Objectives:
o To stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations at a level
that would prevent dangerous human induced
interference with the climate system
o Should be achieved within a time-frame sufficient to
allow ecosystems to adapt naturally to climate change
o To ensure that food production is not threatened
o To enable sustainable economic development

21. ◉ Financial support to developing countries
◉ Share technologies
◉ Keeps tabs on the problem and what's being done
about it
◉ Help developing countries limit emissions without
hindering their economic progress
◉ Annual meeting of parties

22. ◉ Kyoto Protocol - 1997
o Set emission reduction targets internationally
o UN member countries divided into
• Annex I countries: Industrialized countries & economy
is in transition
• Annex II countries: Developed countries which pay for
costs of developing countries
• Non-Annex I countries: Developing countries
o Doha amendment in 2012

23. ◉ Paris Agreement on Climate Change, 2016
o Will replace Kyoto Protocol on 31 January 2020
o 192 countries including India signed the agreement
o To limit rise in global temperature below 2C
o To help developing nations to adapt the detrimental
effects of global warming

24. ◉ India’s Commitments
o India – world’s 4th largest carbon emitter
o Produce 40% of total electricity from sources other
than fossil fuels
o Creating additional carbon sink through extra forest &
tree cover by 2030
o Installing 175GW of renewable power capacity by
2022

25. Rotterdam ConventionRotterdam Convention –– 19981998
◉ “Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed
Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals
and Pesticides in International Trade”
◉ Objectives:
o Promote shared responsibility and cooperative efforts
among Parties in the international trade hazardous
chemicals to protect human health and the
environment from potential harm
o Environmentally sound use of hazardous chemicals

26. ◉ Annex III chemicals - 50 chemicals
◉ Prior Informed Consent (PIC) procedure
◉ Decision Guidance Document (DGD) – scope, basic
information, hazards, possible alternatives
◉ Exporters of hazardous chemicals should
o Use proper labeling
o Directions for safe handling
o Inform to import nation on any restriction or ban

27. Stockholm Convention on Persistent OrganicStockholm Convention on Persistent Organic
PollutantsPollutants -- 20012001
◉ Objective:
o To protect human health and the environment from
persistent organic pollutants (POP)
◉ POP List
o Annex A  Prohibit or eliminate the production, use,
and its import and export
o Annex B Restriction (DDT)
o Annex C  Reduce or eliminate releases from
unintentionally produced POPs
(Endosulfan)

28. ◉ Effects of POPs:
o Remain intact for exceptionally long periods
o Widely distributed throughout the environment by
natural processes (soil, air, water...)
o Accumulate in the fatty tissue of living organisms
o Toxic to humans and wildlife
o Serious health effects
• Cancer
• Birth defects
• Damage nervous systems, immune systems

29. Johannesburg Conference, 2002Johannesburg Conference, 2002
◉ World Summit on Sustainable Development, South
Africa
◉ Earth Summit 2002 (Rio+10)
◉ Objectives:
o Reaffirm commitment to sustainable development via
social, economical & environmental development
o Vanish under-development
o Basic requirements of human
o Improve lives while preserving earth's resources

30. ◉ Outcomes:
o Agreed to achieve 8 critical economic & social
development priorities by 2015 (Millennium
Development Goals)

31. UN Conference on Sustainable DevelopmentUN Conference on Sustainable Development ––
20122012
◉ Earth Summit 2012 (Rio+20)
◉ Objectives:
o Securing renewed political commitment for
sustainable development
o Assessing the progress and implementation gaps
o Addressing new and emerging challenges

32. ◉ Outcomes
o Sustainable Development Goals
o Make UNEP the “leading global environmental
authority”
o All nations reaffirmed commitments to phase out
fossil fuel subsidies
o Outcome document – “Future We Want”

34. ReferencesReferences
1. www.britannica.com
2. ozone.unep.org
3. www.basel.int
4. www.un.org
5. www.sustainable-environment.org.uk
6. www.cbd.int
7. unfccc.int
8. www.pic.int
9. chm.pops.int