Anthropogenic Greenhouse Gas emissions and irrevocable changes it causes to the climate system

Introduction

Since the industrial Revolution advent in the 19th century, there has been a continuous increase in global industrial activities. This has finally led to an excessive increase in greenhouse gas emissions, which has later led to climate change. These changes impact on a different aspect of weather. Climate change continuously results in unpredictable and far-reaching environmental, economic, and social consequences as observed by scientist and experts (Gifford, 2011). The debatable question that emerges is concerned with how human beings can survive if these changes ultimately result in catastrophic phenomenon and answers remain unknown. What is encouraging is that both developing and developed countries are working harder to find remedies towards climate change. This effort was evident in 1992 when 154 countries emerged to sign the United Nation Framework Convention on Climate Change (Bulkeley & Newell, 2015). They came into an agreement to stabilize the emissions of GHG. It has been felt that any effort made to combat GHG emission must be in line with existing obligations and treaties of international human rights.

The effectiveness of UNFCCC in stimulating sustainable development and reduction in carbon emissions

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change UNFCC grew out of the Earth summit held in 1992. They provided clear practical tools and framework for implementing and promoting sustainable development while keeping a close eye on longtime needs and development (Gifford, 2011). The UNFCCC was created primarily as a way to start and aid future process, and more comprehensive aspect of how to respond and tackle climate change. The most imperative tools, policies and mechanisms UNFCCC has used to sustain development and reduce carbon emissions are described below.

Differentiated responsibilities but common

The UNFCCC supported the concept of differentiated responsibility but common in the context of climate. This implies that parties of developing countries are to pay their contribution to climate mitigation due to powerful capacity in undertaking mitigation and a major contribution to the climatic change problems. This is a result of long-term historical emissions. Developed countries are required to take the center stage in averting climate change (Cabre, 2011). The convection continuously emphasizes the importance of promoting sustainable growth of the economy, especially in countries that are still developing. Developing countries are prone to stringent requirements and reporting as compared to developed countries that are under the convection. Performance of these developing countries parties is conditioned on the promotion of financial technology and support transfer parties of developed nations (Bulkeley &Newell, 2015).

Gathering and reporting of data

The UNFCCC implemented a process that enables countries in generating and sharing of data concerning the emission of GHG domestic. All parties are needed to issue out national GHG inventories under the UNFCCC (Cabre, 2011). Developed countries are called upon to submit a comprehensive description of mitigating policies and projected impact projections on GHG emissions policies. The collected data through the UNFCCC has proved imperative in the development of scientific understanding of the climate challenge, and afterwards, the agreement has led to the building of reporting requirement of the UNFCCC (Bulkeley &Newell, 2015).

Administrative structure, institutions, and process

The UNFCCC has issued the Institutional structure basic for the adoption and negotiation of a chain of modification, protocols and agreements linked to the convections responsibility, most currently Paris agreement (Laukkonen et al., 2009). The convection set up parties' conference, subsidiary bodies, and a secretariat that supervise the implementation of the related instruments and convection within its mandate. Responding to the problems caused by climate change has led to the burden of diminishing greenhouse gas emissions in countries and generation with varying capabilities and development context. The convection lay down principles to counter these concerns, which are to be applied by parties in guiding their aim to accomplish the purpose and object of the convection (Darry, 2009).

Principles used by UNFCCC in stimulating sustainable development and reduction in carbon emission.

DS Smith has made important progress in the recent years by purposing to reduce its carbon (iv) oxide emissions through switching the fuel it uses and adopting energy efficieny initatives (Steffen et al., 2015). However, the challenge it faces is that switching of fuel and adopting energy efficienty initiatives need a lot of investments in the biomass boilers, and in generating combines heat power at the company’s paper mills. This issue is at the institutionalised stage. Just as Zadek proves in his framework, there is legislations established to reduce climatic impacts. Moreover, DS Smith has established initatives to enhance positive climatic change.

The No-Harm principle

This principle of no-harm is a largely acknowledged principle of international law customary whereby a country is mandated to prevent, control, and reduce the risk caused by environmental harm to other countries. Countries are free to exploit their resources; however, it must not inflict harm to places beyond their jurisdiction. The no-harm principle is essential in connection to the UNFCCC in the battle of sustainable development (Mayer, 2018).

The principle of precautionary

This principle requires that whenever there is a threat of irreversible or serious environmental damage, failure of full scientific certainty must not be used as an excuse for postponing means to prevent degradation of the environment. However, it has been envisaged that measures of that kind should be cost-effective to facilitate global benefits at a lower possible cost (Nilsson & Kjellstrom, 2010).

Equal sovereignty principle

The principle of equal sovereignty requires that all parties should shield the climate system in order to benefit future and present generation of humankind on the basis of common and equity but differentiated respective capabilities and responsibilities. There is largely generalized acceptance to the GHG emission accumulation by the developed countries, in addition to the greater resource ability to develop and accept remedial action (Tompkins, 2010).

Evaluation of UNFCCC effectiveness in the reduction of carbon emission

The UNFCCC secretariat is focused on sustainable development activities such as improvement in the management of facilities and operation. The UN and the UNFCCC have an obligation to strive and elevate sustainability efforts to dispose of carbon footprint. The UNFCCC has accomplished its objective of neutrality of full climate by 2012, through reduction and avoidance emission, and offset scheming by the use of Adaptation Fund for the balance remaining (Kalamees et al., 2012). The secretariat continues with the effort to cut down carbon footprint and reducing wastage of all resources.

Action by UNFCCC to reduce carbon emission

Materials distribution through the pigeonholes

In order to cut down emission of carbon exhibition and side events, according to practices of the past, flyers for side events and other side events will not be allowed for distribution of the pigeon hole. Side events are set to be announced through UNFCCC channel, exhibit brochure and side events. Outside information may also be pinned on the UNFCCC website (Davoudi et al., 2009).

Dissemination of information electronically

This is an option to printed materials, the secretariat urges the use of similar mobile tags, or QR codes for the dissemination of information electronically to the extreme. In this context, negotiation updates such as ECO, ENB, and TWN are majorly disseminated in an electronic format (Davoudi et al., 2009). The secretariat includes the web links to these updates in order to grant access.

Paper document distribution in general

Serious efforts have been put in place in order to reduce paper consumption. Participants such as exhibitors are encouraged to distribute the little number of paper documents only where necessary, alternatively the secretariat urges the use of CD-ROMs and USB flash for the electronic dissemination of information. Posting of QR codes on poster boards or exhibits stands is also encouraged (Davoudi et al., 2009).

How the adoption by the organization of ISO and other proprietary management standards might contribute to the national target aimed at climate change mitigation and adaptation

The ISO provides direction on the framework for developing new methodologies and the usage of existing methodologies for mitigation and adaptation (Davoudi et al., 2009). A new international standard organization is purposed to give all involved organizations a general framework for the development of comparable, consistent, and improved methodologies in the battle against climate change. ISO, Greenhouse gas board of management and related activities provide direction on how to create an effective adaptation and mitigation activities while providing stakeholders with enhanced access to resources and financial needs to avert climate change (Duate et al., 2013).

ISO has produced approximately 570 environment standards related. This includes those that study climate change, those that quantify emissions of GHG and promote better practices in the management of environment and design. These standards assist stakeholder in addressing the issue of climate change and aid the efforts of developing and developed countries with regards to mitigation and adaptation (Davoudi et al., 2009). For instance, ISO as a standard family includes ISO14065 and ISO 14064, that assist organizations in the quantification of their greenhouse emission gas and communicate on them. On the other ISO 50001 and ISO 14001 assist in promoting good practices in energy and environmental management.

ISO side event for the resilience and climate neutrality

In order to outline the tools that are readily available to stakeholders to facilitate address of current vacuums that need new tools. Institute of Greenhouse Gas Management and ISO have partnered to deliver a formal side event on resilience and neutrality of climate change. This event focuses on setting up collaboration amidst standard-setting bodies, through discussion on current vacuums that exist in standards of climate change and triggering the discussion on ways to build and strengthen collaboration among global programs for current development activities (Keohane & Victor, 2011).

COP 21 under ISO 20121 for sustainable events

COP 21 has resolved to sustainable format for all events by following closely ISO 20121. The standard provides specific requirements for event management, as well as system sustainability. It also provides guidance in conforming to those requirements. It is essential in ensuring that event contributes to dimensions of sustainability, environmental, economic, and social. ISO 20121 has been created to address the issue of management and improving sustainability in all events that are related during the management cycle (Vijaya Venkata Raman et al., 2012). It calls upon organizations to acknowledge their relationship with an effect on society and expectation of society on an event. In consideration of this approach, the UK government has set up and implemented an event system of sustainability management. This will ensure compliance with the stated sustainable development policies.

Collaboration and initiative efforts aimed at climate change mitigation and adaptation by international standards.

International standards assist in battling climate change by providing a baseline for ensuring integrity, trust, and effective management in the measurement, verification and measurement of greenhouse gas. The ISO at the 15th conference that contained all parties allied to the United Nation Framework Convention on Climate Change that was held in 20009 Denmark, Copenhagen. It relayed the message of the necessity of baseline for international benchmarks and standards in the effectiveness of trading emissions (Vijaya Venkata Raman et al., 2012). The United nation foundation outlined the most possible advantages of having ISO. For instance, progress tracking over a given time, related initiative implementation and procedural framework on the critical elements of the climate system that could possibly address aspects such as climate policies connected to the national objective. It also results in Climate action goal setting and the implementation of other relatives and tracking of progress over a given time. A number of ISO initiatives widely play a major role in the fight against climate. These include:

Variety of sustainability-related issues for example, upcoming ISO 26000 standard that is set to provide guidance and direction on social responsibility. It also works on issues of transport-related standards and this includes an intelligent system of transport and electrical vehicles. International organization for standardization has partnered with other two global organizations, to coordinating their task to business, society and government. They are equipped with tools that will assist in combating global climate change (Cabre, 2011). These tools will also help in reducing greenhouse emissions through energy efficiency increase. The three organizations also address the aspect of climate change by offering a system of standardization whose main objective is to offer a standard output necessary for climate change and adaptation. This output standard assists in the promotion of good practices for design and environmental management. It also monitors and measures greenhouse gas emissions (Woolf et al., 2010).

Conclusion

Although climate change resulting from emissions of GHG remains to be a serious environmental concern for decades. There is still a discussion ongoing about what causes this change, or to what extent is it happening. For now, it is a matter of survival for ecology and humanity. Developed countries have a quantified dual obligation to cut down emissions at home. This initiative provides developing countries with vast resources for adaptation. It also assists in deviating from activities that significantly contribute to the emission of GHG. The international standards in conjunction with stringent assessment conformity provide the best remedies for both developing nations and developed ones in the epoch of change in climate. International Standards can offer for the requirement of studying and monitoring GHG emission and energy and thus provide measures for quantification, monitoring, and verification of emissions.

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