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Important 15 International Environmental Organisations

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Important international environmental organisations

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)

  • The UNFCCC secretariat (UN Climate Change) was established in 1992 when countries adopted the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
  • Since 1995, the secretariat is located in Bonn, Germany.
  • What does the secretariat do?
    • It supports a complex architecture of bodies that serve to advance the implementation of the Convention, the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement.
    • The secretariat provides technical expertise and assists in the analysis and review of climate change information reported by Parties and in the implementation of the Kyoto mechanisms.
    • It also maintains the registry for Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) established under the Paris Agreement, a key aspect of implementation of the Paris Agreement.
    • The secretariat organizes and supports between two and four negotiating sessions each year.
    • In recent years, the secretariat also supports the Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action, agreed by governments to signal that successful climate action requires strong support from a wide range of actors, including regions, cities, business, investors and all parts of civil society.
    • At UN Climate Change Conferences, a large number of events demonstrate how non-Party stakeholders are working with governments and the UN system to implement the Paris Agreement.
    • Throughout the year, the secretariat strives to keep all stakeholders informed of on the negotiating process and climate action through a variety of communications products, including social media.

United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (UNCBD)

The United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, informally known as the Biodiversity Convention, is a multilateral treaty opened for signature at the Earth Summit in Rio De Janeiro in 1992. It is a key document regarding sustainable development. It comes under the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

  • 196 countries are a party to the CBD.
  • India is also a party to the Convention. India ratified it in 1994.
    • The Biological Diversity Act, 2002 was enacted for giving effect to the provisions of the Convention.
    • To implement the provisions of the Act, the government established the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) in 2003. The NBA is a statutory body.
  • The convention is legally binding on its signatories.
  • The Conference of Parties (COP) is the governing body of the convention. It consists of the governments that have ratified the treaty.
  • Its Secretariat is in Montreal, Canada.
  • Only two member states of the United Nations are not Parties to the CBD, namely: the USA and the Vatican.
  • In the 1992 Earth Summit, two landmark binding agreements were signed, one of them being the UNCBD. The other one was the Convention on Climate Change.
  • More than 150 countries signed the document at the Summit, and since then, over 175 nations have ratified the agreement. 

UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)

  • Established in 1994.
  • It is the sole legally binding international agreement linking environment and development to sustainable land management.
  • It is the only convention stemming from a direct recommendation of the Rio Conference’s Agenda 21.
  • To help publicise the Convention, 2006 was declared “International Year of Deserts and Desertification”.
  • Focus areas: The Convention addresses specifically the arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas, known as the drylands, where some of the most vulnerable ecosystems and peoples can be found.
  • Aim: Its 197 Parties aim, through partnerships, to implement the Convention and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. The end goal is to protect land from over-use and drought, so it can continue to provide food, water and energy.
  • The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change is the nodal Ministry for this Convention.
  • The 14th edition of the Conference of Parties (COP-14) to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) held in Greater Noida, this was the first time that India hosted an edition of the UNCCD COP.
    • The theme of the Conference was ‘Restore land, Sustain future’.
    • India being the global host for COP 14 has taken over the COP Presidency from China for the next two years till 2021.

Global Environment Facility (GEF)

  • It was established in October 1991 as a $1 billion pilot program in the World Bank to assist in the protection of the global environment and to promote environmental sustainable development.
  • Headquarter: Washington, United States of America.
  • Key Functions:
    • The Global Environment Facility (GEF) unites 184 countries in partnership with international institutions, civil society organizations (CSOs), and the private sector to address global environmental issues while supporting national sustainable development initiatives.
    • Today the GEF is the largest public funder of projects to improve the global environment.
    • An independently operating financial organization, the GEF provides grants for projects related to biodiversity, climate change, international waters, land degradation, the ozone layer, and persistent organic pollutants.
  • Funding: The GEF serves as the financial mechanismfor the following conventions:
    • Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
    • United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
    • UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)
    • Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)
    • Minamata Convention on Mercury
  • India has formed a permanent Constituency in the Executive Council of the GEF together with Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Nepal and Maldives. 
  • India is both a donor and a recipient of GEF. It has been a leading developing country participant in the GEF since its inception in 1991 and has played a major role in shaping the restructuring of the GEF.
  • Ministry of Finance is the political focal point while Ministry of Environment & Forests is the Operational Focal Point for the GEF Projects.

Green Climate Fund 

  • The Green Climate Fund (GCF) is the world’s largest dedicated fund helping developing countries reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and enhance their ability to respond to climate change.
  • It was set up by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 2010.
  • GCF has a crucial role in serving the Paris Agreement, supporting the goal of keeping average global temperature rise well below 2 degrees C.
  • It does this by channeling climate finance to developing countries, which have joined other nations in committing to climate action.
  • Responding to the climate challenge requires collective action from all countries, including by both public and private sectors. Among these concerted efforts, advanced economies have agreed to jointly mobilize significant financial resources.
  • Coming from a variety of sources, these resources address the pressing mitigation and adaptation needs of developing countries.
  • GCF launched its initial resource mobilisation in 2014, and rapidly gathered pledges worth USD 10.3 billion. These funds come mainly from developed countries, but also from some developing countries, regions, and one city.
  • GCF’s activities are aligned with the priorities of developing countries through the principle of country ownership, and the Fund has established a direct access modality so that national and sub-national organisations can receive funding directly, rather than only via international intermediaries.
  • The Fund pays particular attention to the needs of societies that are highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, in particular Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Small Island Developing States (SIDS), and African States.
  • GCF aims to catalyze a flow of climate finance to invest in low-emission and climate-resilient development, driving a paradigm shift in the global response to climate change.

World Wide Fund for Nature

  • The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) is an international non-governmental organization founded in 1961, working in the field of wilderness preservation, and the reduction of human impact on the environment.
  • Headquarter : Gland, Switzerland.
  • It was formerly named the World Wildlife Fund, which remains its official name in Canada and the United States.
  • WWF is the world’s largest conservation organization with over five million supporters worldwide, working in more than 100 countries, supporting around 3000 conservation and environmental projects.
  • They have invested over $1 billion in more than 12,000 conservation initiatives since 1995.
  • WWF is a foundation with 55% of funding from individuals and bequests, 19% from government sources (such as the World Bank, DFID, USAID) and 8% from corporations in 2014.
  • WWF aims to “stop the degradation of the planet’s natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature.”
  • The Living Planet Report has been published every two years by WWF since 1998; it is based on a Living Planet Index and ecological footprint calculation.
  • In addition, WWF has launched several notable worldwide campaigns including Earth Hour and Debt-for-Nature Swap, and its current work is organized around these six areas: food, climate, freshwater, wildlife, forests, and oceans.

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)

  • Established in 1988 by two United Nations organizations, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and later endorsed by the United Nations General Assembly.
  • Headquarter: Geneva, Switzerland.
  • Key Functions:
    • The IPCC produces reports that support the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
    • IPCC reports cover all relevant information to understand the risk of human-induced climate change, its potential impacts and options for adaptation and mitigation.
    • The IPCC does not carry out its own original research.
    • Thousands of scientists and other experts contribute on a voluntary basis.
  • The 2007 Nobel Peace Prize was shared, in two equal parts, between the IPCC and an American Environmentalist.
  • The aims of the IPCC are to assess scientific information relevant to:
    • Human-induced climate change,
    • The impacts of human-induced climate change,
    • Options for adaptation and mitigation.
  • Funding: The IPCC receives funding through the IPCC Trust Fund, established in 1989 by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is the world’s oldest and largest global environmental organisation. Important facts about IUCN are given below:

  • Founded in 1948, today IUCN the largest professional global conservation network.
  • Headquarter: Gland, near Geneva, in Switzerland.
  • Key Functions: Conserving biodiversity is central to the mission of IUCN. The main areas of function are:
    • The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
    • Action : hundreds of conservation projects all over the world.
  • Funding:  Funded by governments, bilateral and multilateral agencies, foundations, member organisations and corporations.
  • Observer Status at the United Nations General Assembly.
  • India became a State Member of IUCN in 1969, through the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
  • The IUCN India Country Office was established in 2007 in New Delhi.

United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

  • It was founded as a result of the UN Conference on the Human Environment (Stockholm Conference) in 1972.
  • Headquarter: Nairobi, Kenya
  • Key Functions:
    • It coordinates UN’s environmental activities, assisting developing countries in implementing environmentally sound policies and practices.
    • Its activities cover a wide range of issues regarding the atmosphere, marine and terrestrial ecosystems, environmental governance and green economy.
    • UNEP has also been active in funding and implementing environment related development projects.
    • UNEP has aided in the formulation of guidelines and treaties on issues such as the international trade in potentially harmful chemicals, transboundary air pollution, and contamination of international waterways.
    • UNEP is also one of several Implementing Agencies for the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol.
    • The International Cyanide Management Code, a program of best practice for the chemical’s use at gold mining operations, was developed under UNEP’s aegis.
    • UNEP published Global Environmental Outlook (GEO) report.
  • Funding:  The three main sources of funding of UN Environment are the UN Regular Budget, the Environment Fund, the core funding that enables UN Environment to implement its global and regional work, and Earmarked Contributions.

World Food Programme

International Environmental Organisations
  •  The WFP was established in 1961 by the FAO and the United Nations General Assembly.
  • Headquarter: Rome.
  • The Nobel Peace Prize 2020 was awarded to World Food Programme (WFP) ‘for its efforts to combat hunger, for its contribution to bettering conditions for peace in conflict-affected areas and for acting as a driving force in efforts to prevent the use of hunger as a weapon of war and conflict.
  • Key Functions:
    • The WFP strives to eradicate hunger and malnutrition, with the ultimate goal in mind of eliminating the need for food aid itself.
    • WFP’s efforts focus on emergency assistance, relief and rehabilitation, development aid and special operations.  
    • WFP food aid is also directed to fight micronutrient deficiencies, reduce child mortality, improve maternal health, and combat disease, including HIV and AIDS.
    • WFP has coordinated the five-year Purchase for Progress (P4P) pilot project which assists smallholder farmers by offering them opportunities to access agricultural markets and to become competitive players in the marketplace.
  • Funding:  The WFP operations are funded by voluntary donations from world governments, corporations and private donors.

World Nature Organization (WNO)

 WNO initiative was born in 2010 by states which are threatened by rising sea levels. The WNO Treaty officially entered into force on 1st May 2014. Other facts about WNO are given below:

  • Location : Geneva
  • Key Functions:
    • It is an intergovernmental organisation which promotes global environmental protection.
    • WNO acts as a centre of competence for environmental protection, green technologies and sustainability, and as a mediator and initiator, making available experience of practical applications and strategies, offering support on all issues related to responsible conduct as regards the natural environment and its resources and assisting States to benefit from efficient development and from scientific and technology transfer.
    • The World Nature Organization  promotes sustainable conduct as regards the natural environment, together with new, environments-friendly technologies, green economies and renewable energies.
  • India is not a member.

International Whaling Organization

  •  The IWC was set up under the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling which was signed in Washington DC on 2nd December 1946.
  • Headquarter: Impington, near Cambridge, England.
  • Key Functions:
    • The preamble to the Convention states that its purpose is to provide for the proper conservation of whale stocks and thus make possible the orderly development of the whaling industry.  
    • An integral part of the Convention is its legally binding ‘Schedule.’  The Schedule sets out specific measures that the IWC has collectively decided are necessary in order to regulate whaling and conserve whale stocks.
    • These measures include catch limits (which may be zero as it the case for commercial whaling) by species and area, designating specified areas as whale sanctuaries, protection of calves and females accompanied by calves, and restrictions on hunting methods. Unlike the Convention, the Schedule can be amended and updated when the Commission meets (a change requires at least three quarters majority agreement).
    • There are a number of reasons why changes to the Schedule may be necessary.  These include new information from the Scientific Committee, and variations in the requirements of aboriginal subsistence whalers.
    • The Commission also co-ordinates and, in several cases, funds conservation work on many species of cetacean. In addition to research, this includes building an international entanglement response capacity, working to prevent ship strikes, and establishment of Conservation Management Plans for key species and populations.  
    • The Commission has also adopted a Strategic Plan for Whalewatching to facilitate the further development of this activity in a way which is responsible and consistent with international best practice.
  • Funding:  Financial contributions from member governments form the IWC’s core income, but additional voluntary donations to support particular work programmes are generously made by non-governmental organisations (NGOs), industry bodies, and also by member governments.
  • India is a Member.

Global Climate Change Alliance (GCCA)

  • The GCCA was established by the European Union (EU) in 2007 to strengthen dialogue and cooperation with developing countries, in particular least developed countries (LDCs) and Small Island developing States (SIDS).
  • By fostering effective dialogue and cooperation on climate change, the Alliance helps to ensure that poor developing countries most vulnerable to climate change increase their capacities to adapt to the effects of climate change, in support of the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
  • In 2014, a new phase of the GCCA, the GCCA+, began in line with the European Commission’s new Multiannual Financial Framework (2014-2020).
  • The GCCA+ aim is to boost the efficiency of its response to the needs of vulnerable countries and groups. Using ambitious and innovative approaches, it will achieve its goals by building on its two mutually reinforcing pillars:
  • Under the first pillar, the GCCA+ serves as a platform for dialogue and exchange of experience between the EU and developing countries, focusing on climate policy and bringing renewed attention to the issue of international climate finance. The results feed into negotiations for a new climate deal under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
  • Under the second pillar, the GCCA+ acts as a source of technical and financial support for the world’s most climate-vulnerable countries, whose populations need climate finance the most. Extra efforts will be made to strengthen the strategically important issues of ecosystems-based adaptation, migration and gender equality.
  • The GCCA+ focuses its technical support on three priority areas:
    • Climate change mainstreaming and poverty reduction
    • Increasing resilience to climate-related stresses and shocks
    • Sector-based climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies

Bio-carbon Fund initiative

 The BioCarbon Fund Initiative for Sustainable Forest Landscapes (ISFL) is a multilateral fund, supported by donor governments and managed by the World Bank. It is has been operational from 2013.

  • Headquarter: USA
  • Key Functions:
    • It seeks to promote reduced greenhouse gas emissions from the land sector, from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries (REDD+), and from sustainable agriculture, as well as smarter land-use planning, policies and practices.
    • The initiative will be managed by the BioCarbon Fund, a public-private program housed within the World Bank that mobilizes finance for activities that sequester or conserve carbon emissions in forest and agricultural systems.
    • The new Initiative for Sustainable Forest Landscapes seeks to scale up land-management practices across large landscapes, including improved livestock management, climate-smart agriculture, and sustainable forest management, with a focus on protecting forests and greening and securing supply chains.
    • It will engage a broader range of actors, including the private sector, initially through a portfolio of four to six programs in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
  • Funding: Norway, the United Kingdom, and the United States are major contributors.

Arctic Council

The Arctic Council was founded on the initiative of the Government of Finland in September 1989 where officials from the 8 Arctic Countries met in Rovaniemi, Finland, to discuss cooperative measures to protect the Arctic environment.

  • Headquarter: The location of the Secretariat was rotated biennially with the Chairmanship of the Arctic Council.
  • Key Functions:
    • The Arctic Council is an intergovernmental forum promoting cooperation, coordination, and interaction among the Arctic States, Arctic indigenous communities and other Arctic inhabitants on common Arctic issues, in particular on issues of sustainable development and environmental protection in the Arctic.
  • The main focus areas of the Arctic Council are:
    • The Environment and climate change
    • Bio-diversity
    • Oceans
    • The indigenous Arctic peoples
  • Funding: By member states.
  • India is an Observer State.

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