Most Important Environmental Conventions and Protocols

1. UNCED(UN Conference on Environment & Dev.) Aka RIO SUMMIT/EARTH SUMMIT -

 In June 1992 Scrutiny on patterns of production (esp. toxins)+ alternative sources of energy + public transport + water scarcity

 3 documents-

i) Rio declaration (to guide future sustainable dev.{SD})

ii) Agenda 21- Action plan of UN for SD (21 represents 21st Century here)

[Local Agenda 21- local authorities to implement the plan on advise if national & state govts]

iii) Forest principles 

3 legally binding agreements: CBD, UNCCD & UNFCCC

JOHANNESBURG SUMMIT/ EARTH SUMMIT 2002/ WORLD SUMMIT ON SD- affirmed full implementation of Agenda-21, alongside achievement of MDGs. 

Rio+20: UN conference on SD in June 2012-world leaders, pvt sector,NGOs 

Themes:i) build green economy to achieve SD and lift people out of poverty

 ii) improve international coordination for SD

2. CBD( Convention on Biological Diversity) Legally Binding 

CARTAGENA PROTOCOL ON BIOSAFETY to CBD(effective from 2003){Cartagena- city in Columbia} 

Biosafety= need to protect human health & env. from the possible adverse effects of products of modern biotechnology(LMOs) 

Objective: safe transfer,handling & use of LMOs(living modified organisms); Specific focus on trans boundary movements (imports & exports) Shipment must have documentation that identify LMOs, specify requirement for safe handling 

2 sets of procedures: I) AIA(Advanced Informed Agreement): exporting country must notify importer which must acknowledge and decide whether or not to import LMO and tell it to BCH(Biosaftey Clearing House)

II) LMOs-FFP(Food or feed or processing): Parties placing LMOs in market must make their decision publicly available through BCH

 NAGOYA PROTOCOL- 

ON ACCESS TO GENETIC RESOURCES & FAIR & EQUITABLE SHARING OF BENEFITS ARISING FROM UTILIZATION{Nagoya in Japan}-effective from 2014 

provides transparent legal framework-for access and equitable sharing 

CoP 10- Aichi in Japan- Aichi Biodiversity Targets(2011-2020) 

Strategic Goal A: address causes of biodiversity loss , make people aware

 SG B: reduce direct pressure on biodiversity like: half the rate of loss of natural habitats, avoid overfishing, decrease pollution from excessive nutrients , control invasive alien species,etc 

SG C: Improve status of biodiversity by safeguarding ecosystems 

SG D: enhance benefits to all from biodiversity 

SG E: implementation through participatory planning- use traditional knowledge & science technologies relating to biodiversity

CoP 11 - Hyderabad in 2012 Last CoP 13 in Cancun,Mexico in 2016

3. RAMSAR CONVENTION ON WETLANDS: (WATERFOWL CONVENTION)(adopted:1971 & effective:1975)

Ramsar in Iran

• Intergovernmental treaty for conservation of wetlands- only global environment treaty to deal with a particular ecosystem.
• Not affiliated with UN system of Multilateral env. Agreements(MEAs)
• World Wetland day- 2nd Feb
• Ramsar List= list of wetlands of international importance- each contracting party has to designate atleast 1 site.- India has 26 sites 
• India became a contracting party to Ramsar in 1981.

• MONTREUX RECORD - adopted in BRISBANE in 1996 - Montreux is in Swizerland

Register of wetland sites where changes in ecological character have occurred, are occurring or likely to occur due to human interference

Keoladeo NP & Loktak Lake are there from India.

Chilika was also on list but removed on 2002 and received Ramsar wetland Conservation Award.

International Organization partners(IOPs)1. Birdlife International

2. IUCN

3. WWF International

4. Wetland International

5. IWMI{International water Management Institute}

4. CITES(Convention on international Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora & Fauna):

(effective:1975): only treaty to ensure that international trade in plants and animals doesn't threaten their survival in wild

• Administered through UNEP
• Secretariat in Geneva, Switzerland

3 Appendices for different leve of regulations:

Appendix-I:species threatened with extinction , hence highest protection, eg. gorilla, sea turtles, giant pandas, lady slipper orchids

Appendix-II: species needing trade controls to avoid threat to extinction

Appendix-III: species for which 1 country asked others to control trade, eg. map turtle, walruses, cape stag beetles.

CoPs held every 3 years.Recently in 2016 CoP17 at Johannesburg

5. TRAFFIC-Wildlife Trade Monitoring Network{1976}

• Joint programme of WWF and IUCN
• TRAFFIC International based in Cambridge, UK
• It is an NGO & works in close collaboration with Governments & CITES Secretariat.

6. CMS- CONVENTION ON CONSERVATION OF MIGRATORY SPECIES OF WILD ANIMALS (aka BONN CONVENTION){Bonn is in Germany}(1983)

• conserves terrestrial, aquatic and avian migratory species throughout their range
• intergovernmental treaty under UNEP
• only global convention specializing in conservation of migratory species, habitats, migratory routes

Appendix-I: species threatened with extinction-strict protection

Appendix-II: species that would benefit / need international cooperation

7. UNFF- UN FORUM ON FORESTS(2000):

• Established by ECOSOC(Economic & Social Council of UN)
• Conservation & SD of all types of forests
• Adopted NLBI(Non-Legally Binding Insrument on all types of forests) in 2007

8. GTF(GLOBAL TIGER FORUM)(1994)

• Intergovernmental body to save 5 sub-species of tigers over 14 tiger range countries.
• Secretariat at New Delhi
• Global Tiger Initiative: alliance of govts., international agencies, civil society and pvt. sector to save wild tigers from extinction

9. STOCKHOLM CONVENTION ON POP(Persistent Organic Pollutants)(adopted: 2001 & effective: 2004){Stockholm is in Sweden}

• POPs: organic chemical substances(i.e. C-based)
• possess particular combination of physical and chemical properties such that remain in environment for long years, become widely distributed, accumulate in fatty tissues of living org. and found at higher concentrations at higher level of food chain and are toxic to human and wildlife
• they also concentrate through bioaccumulation
• POPs recognised and placed in 3 categories: Pesticides(eg. DDT), Industrial Chemicals(eg. PCBs), By-products
• Endosulfan added in 2011

10. BASEL CONVENTION -ON CONTROL OF TRANSBOUNDARY MOVEMENTS OF HAZARDOUS WASTES & THEIR DISPOSAL(adopted:1989){Basel is in Switzerland}

• It was in response to the discovery of deposits of toxic wastes in parts of developing world imported from abroad.
• Covers "Hazardous wastes"{Annex-I} + "other wastes(Household waste and incinerator waste){Annex II}"
• Aim is to decrease their generation, restrict their transboundary movement.
• Eg. waste regulated by Basel- Biomedical & healthcare, Used oils, POPs, used lead-acid batteries, PCBs, chemical wastes .

11. ROTTERDAM CONVENTION-ON PIC(Prior Informed Consent) PROCEDURE(adopted: 1998 & effecive:2004) {Rotterdam is in Netherlands}

• Legally binding on PIC procedure created by UNEP & FAO but later ceased in 2006.
• Covers: Pesticides & Industrial Chemicals that have been banned or severely restricted for healt/environment reasons by Parties & notified by the parties for inclusion in PIC procedure
• Chrysotile Asbestos controversy: Canada opposed its inclusion in list

12. UNCCD(UN CONVENTION TO COMBAT DESERTIFICATION)(ESTD IN 1994)

• Sole legally binding international agreement linking environment & dev. to sustainable land management.
• Bottom-up approach, encourages local people
• It is 1 of Rio Convention to focus on DLDD(Desertification, land degradation & drought)
• Promotes SLM(Sustainable Land Management)as a solution to global challenges.
• Land degradation is long term loss of ecosystem function and productivity from which land can't recover unaided.

13. VIENNA CONVENTION-FOR PROTECTION OF THE OZONE LAYER(adopted:1985 &  effective: 1988){Vienna is in Austria}

• Not legally binding on reducing use of CFCs
• MONTREAL PROTOCOL: on substances that deplete Ozone Layer(effective in 1989)(Legally Binding):-ODS(ozone depleting substances) are used in refrigeration & ACs, fire fighting, electronics, foams, aerosol fumigation, etc. Eg: CFC-11, CFC-12, HCFC-22, carbon tetrachloride, methyl chloroform.
• Vienna & Montreal most widely ratified treaties in UN
• India ratified them in 1991 & 1992 respectively
• Last amendment to Montreal=Kigali in 2016 to completely eliminate HFCs by 2050 which could prevent abount 0.5°C rise in Global temperature by end of this century.
• MoEF established Ozone Cell to phase out ODSs
• Granted full exemption from payment of Customs & Central Excise Duties on goods designed exclusively for non-ODS tech.

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