Explainer: What Is the UNFCCC?

As the US announces its withdrawal from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, or UNFCCC, Earth.Org looks at the history of the treaty – one of the most inclusive international agreements ever created.

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What Is the UNFCCC?

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is an international treaty that aims to prevent “dangerous” human interference with the climate system and serves as a foundational framework for future global efforts to mitigate climate change and adapt to its inevitable impacts. The treaty, which entered into force in 1994, provides a foundation for global efforts to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at levels that allow ecosystems to adapt naturally, ensure food security, and support sustainable economic development.

Its primary objective is to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that prevents dangerous interference with the climate systems, stating that “such a level should be achieved within a time-frame sufficient to allow ecosystems to adapt naturally to climate change, to ensure that food production is not threatened, and to enable economic development to proceed in a sustainable manner.”

With 198 ratified parties, the UNFCCC has near-universal membership, making it one of the most inclusive international agreements ever created. In January 2026, the US announced its withdrawal from the treaty, becoming the first country to do so.

While the UNFCCC itself does not mandate specific emissions reduction targets, it serves as a framework for future climate agreements. The treaty has facilitated key milestones such as the 1997 Kyoto Protocol and the 2015 Paris Agreement, which have defined global climate action and established mechanisms for emissions reduction and climate change adaptation.

More on the topic: 10 Years of the Paris Agreement: How the Climate Has Changed, in 4 Charts

Common But Differentiated Responsibility

A fundamental principle of the UNFCCC is the recognition of common but differentiated responsibility. It acknowleges that while all countries share responsibility for addressing climate change, industrialized countries are historically major contributors to greenhouse gas emissions and therefore bear greater burden in combating this global issue.

Furthermore, the UNFCCC acknowledges the pressing need for economic development in the world’s poorer countries and accepts that the share of planet-warming gases produced by developing countries will grow. The convention also advocates for the provision of financial and technological support to developing countries for action on climate change. 

Data-Gathering and Transparent Reporting

The UNFCCC establishes mechanisms for monitoring and reporting on countries’ progress towards their climate commitments, ensuring transparency and accountability in reaching the shared goal. Industrialized countries are required to report regularly on their climate change policies and measures and submit an annual inventory of their emissions. Developing countries report in more general terms on their actions to address climate change and adapt to its impacts. They are required to report less regularly than industrialized countries and their reporting is dependent on availability of funding for the preparation of the reports.  

You might also like: A Comprehensive Guide to COP28 and the Global Stocktake 

Conference of Parties

Central to the UNFCCC is the annual Conferences of Parties (COP), the decision-making body of the convention. Its purpose is to review and advance the implementation of the convention. Countries who have joined the UNFCCC meet to measure progress and negotiate multilateral responses to climate change.

COPs have created global milestones for the climate movement, setting standards and advancing action. The COP brings together not only the government but also the private sector and thousands of representatives from the civil society, green and polluting industries, and non-governmental organisations to tackle the climate crisis. 

The first universal, legally binding international climate agreement was achieved at COP21, marking a historic moment in global climate action. The Paris Agreement mobilized parties in taking action to decrease greenhouse gas emissions with an agreed-upon goal of staying below a global average temperature increase of 2C above pre-industrial levels but encouraging parties to strive to keep it below 1.5C.  

In an unprecedented move, COP28 in Dubai recognized the need to transition away from fossil fuels for the first time, after unprecedented pressure from the scientific community and the UN, which repeatedly said that limiting global heating to 1.5C is impossible without the phase out of all fossil fuels. In line with the framework, the final agreement acknowledged common but differentiated responsibility, with emphasis on phasing out fossil fuels with justice and equity.  

The most recent summit, COP30, held in November 2025 in Belém, Brazil, marked a significant yet contentious chapter in climate diplomacy. Known as the “COP of Truth,” COP30 sought to address key issues such as climate finance, deforestation, fossil fuel dependency, and Indigenous rights. However, the outcomes of the conference were a mixed bag of progress and disappointment. Notably, the final agreement did not mention fossil fuels.

More on the topic: Did COP30 Succeed or Fail?

Criticisms to the UNFCCC

While the UNFCCC plays a pivotal role in providing a framework to combat climate change and facilitating global cooperation, it still has its shortcomings. The Kyoto Protocol, signed in 1997, was a historical agreement that legally bound key economic players to strict climate targets for the first time. However, by exempting developing countries from the emission reduction commitments, its effectiveness was limited, with China and India – the first and third largest emitters in the world, respectively – experiencing a significant rise in emissions in the decades that followed. By 2012, the year after the first commitment period, global emissions actually rose by 44% from 1997 levels, driven predominantly by the developing nations’ emissions.  

Consequently, the US senate refused to ratify the protocol, with potential damage to the US economy as their reasoning. Their decision eventually led to other major countries such as Canada and Japan to pull out of the deal. 

More recently, COPs have faced backlash for the continued presence of fossil fuel lobbyists. At COP30, fossil fuel representatives outnumbered the delegations of all but one country, Brazil, sparking criticism from civil society groups. This has fueled concerns that the UNFCCC process is being influenced by corporate interests at the expense of meaningful climate action.

Furthermore, while developed nations have repeatedly pledged financial support to assist vulnerable countries, the actual delivery of funds has fallen short. The Loss and Damage Fund, established at COP27 and designed to help countries recover from climate impacts, remains underfunded, with wealthy nations reluctant to accept financial and legal liability for climate-induced damages.

Featured image: UNclimatechange/Flickr

This article was updated and republished on January 8, 2026. It was originally published on December 22, 2023.