The UNFCCC was formed in 1992 due to the augmenting concerns about the global threat of climate change.

In 1992, countries joined an international treaty, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, as a framework for international cooperation to combat climate change by limiting average global temperature increases and the resulting climate change, and coping with impacts that were, by then, inevitable.

By 1995, countries launched negotiations to strengthen the global response to climate change, and, two years later, adopted the Kyoto Protocol. The Kyoto Protocol legally binds developed country Parties to emission reduction targets. The Protocol’s first commitment period started in 2008 and ended in 2012. The second commitment period began on 1 January 2013 and will end in 2020.
There are now 197 Parties to the Convention and 192 Parties to the Kyoto Protocol.

From its inception in 1992, the UNFCCC has led to the adoption of a number of subsequent agreements. It has spurred the development of key infrastructure and policies at the international and national levels that serve as cornerstones of today’s climate action, including measuring and tracking emissions and impacts; generating knowledge and research; and building the capacity to address the causes and effects of climate change.

The Sustainable Development Goals are the blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. They address the global challenges we face, including those related to poverty,climate change, environmental degradation, peace and justice. Sustainable Development Goal 13 (SDG 13 or Global Goal 13) is to limit and adapt to climate change.

SDG 13 has five targets which are to be achieved by 2030. They cover a wide range of issues surrounding climate action. The first three targets are outcome targets: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related disasters; integrate climate change measures into policies and planning; build knowledge and capacity to meet climate change. The remaining two targets are means of implementation targets, To implement the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and to promote mechanisms to raise capacity for planning and management. Along with each target, there are indicators that provide a method to review the overall progress of each target. The UNFCCC is the primary international, intergovernmental forum for negotiating the global response to climate change.