UNITED NATIONS
FRAMEWORK CONVENTION
ON CLIMATE CHANGE
The Parties to this Convention,
Acknowledging that change in the Earth's climate and its adverse effects are a
common concern of humankind,
Concerned that human activities have been substantially increasing the atmospheric
concentrations of greenhouse gases, that these increases enhance the natural greenhouse effect, and that
this will result on average in an additional warming of the Earth's surface and atmosphere and may
adversely affect natural ecosystems and humankind,
Noting that the largest share of historical and current global emissions of
greenhouse gases has originated in developed countries, that per capita emissions in developing countries
are still relatively low and that the share of global emissions originating in developing countries will
grow to meet their social and development needs,
Aware of the role and importance in terrestrial and marine ecosystems of sinks and
reservoirs of greenhouse gases,
Noting that there are many uncertainties in predictions of climate change,
particularly with regard to the timing, magnitude and regional patterns thereof,
Acknowledging that the global nature of climate change calls for the widest possible
cooperation by all countries and their participation in an effective and appropriate international
response, in accordance with their common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities
and their social and economic conditions,
Recalling the pertinent provisions of the Declaration of the United Nations
Conference on the Human Environment, adopted at Stockholm on 16 June 1972,
Recalling also that States have, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations
and the principles of international law, the sovereign right to exploit their own resources pursuant to
their own environmental and developmental policies, and the responsibility to ensure that activities within
their jurisdiction or control do not cause damage to the environment of other States or of areas beyond the
limits of national jurisdiction,
Reaffirming the principle of sovereignty of States in international cooperation to
address climate change,
Recognizing that States should enact effective environmental legislation, that
environmental standards, management objectives and priorities should reflect the environmental and
developmental context to which they apply, and that standards applied by some countries may be
inappropriate and of unwarranted economic and social cost to other countries, in particular developing
countries,
Recalling the provisions of General Assembly resolution 44/228 of 22 December 1989 on
the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, and resolutions 43/53 of 6 December 1988,
44/207 of 22 December 1989, 45/212 of 21 December 1990 and 46/169 of 19 December 1991 on protection of
global climate for present and future generations of mankind,
Recalling also the provisions of General Assembly resolution 44/206 of 22 December
1989 on the possible adverse effects of sea-level rise on islands and coastal areas, particularly low-lying
coastal areas and the pertinent provisions of General Assembly resolution 44/172 of 19 December 1989 on the
implementation of the Plan of Action to Combat Desertification,
Recalling further the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer, 1985,
and the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, 1987, as adjusted and amended on 29
June 1990,
Noting the Ministerial Declaration of the Second World Climate Conference adopted on
7 November 1990,
Conscious of the valuable analytical work being conducted by many States on climate
change and of the important contributions of the World Meteorological Organization, the United Nations
Environment Programme and other organs, organizations and bodies of the United Nations system, as well as
other international and intergovernmental bodies, to the exchange of results of scientific research and the
coordination of research,
Recognizing that steps required to understand and address climate change will be
environmentally, socially and economically most effective if they are based on relevant scientific,
technical and economic considerations and continually re-evaluated in the light of new findings in these
areas,
Recognizing that various actions to address climate change can be justified
economically in their own right and can also help in solving other environmental problems,
Recognizing also the need for developed countries to take immediate action in a
flexible manner on the basis of clear priorities, as a first step towards comprehensive response strategies
at the global, national and, where agreed, regional levels that take into account all greenhouse gases,
with due consideration of their relative contributions to the enhancement of the greenhouse effect,
Recognizing further that low-lying and other small island countries, countries with
low-lying coastal, arid and semi-arid areas or areas liable to floods, drought and desertification, and
developing countries with fragile mountainous ecosystems are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects
of climate change,
Recognizing the special difficulties of those countries, especially developing
countries, whose economies are particularly dependent on fossil fuel production, use and exportation, as a
consequence of action taken on limiting greenhouse gas emissions,
Affirming that responses to climate change should be coordinated with social and
economic development in an integrated manner with a view to avoiding adverse impacts on the latter, taking
into full account the legitimate priority needs of developing countries for the achievement of sustained
economic growth and the eradication of poverty,
Recognizing that all countries, especially developing countries, need access to
resources required to achieve sustainable social and economic development and that, in order for developing
countries to progress towards that goal, their energy consumption will need to grow taking into account the
possibilities for achieving greater energy efficiency and for controlling greenhouse gas emissions in
general, including through the application of new technologies on terms which make such an application
economically and socially beneficial,
Determined to protect the climate system for present and future generations,
Have agreed as follows:
