Reforming the UNFCCC Process – Challenges, Criticisms, and Proposals

UNFCCC Latest News

• The article discusses the ongoing credibility crisis in international climate negotiations under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). 
• Despite repeated conferences and global commitments, progress on climate action has been limited, especially regarding climate justice for developing nations. 
• The article evaluates the structural inefficiencies of the UNFCCC, highlights reform demands, and outlines Brazil’s efforts to revive confidence in the process ahead of COP30.

About the UNFCCC

• The UNFCCC is the UN process for negotiating an agreement to limit dangerous climate change. 
• It is an international treaty among countries to combat dangerous human interference with the climate system. The main way to do this is limiting the increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
• It was signed in 1992 by 154 states at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), informally known as the Earth Summit, held in Rio de Janeiro. The treaty entered into force on 21 March 1994.
• “UNFCCC” is also the name of the Secretariat charged with supporting the operation of the convention, with offices on the UN Campus in Bonn, Germany.
• By 2022, the UNFCCC had 198 parties, and its supreme decision-making body, the Conference of the Parties (COP), meets every year. 

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Background – The UNFCCC Credibility Crisis

• Failure to deliver climate justice:
  • Developed countries have failed to meet emission targets and financial commitments.
  • Developing nations, especially small islands and vulnerable states, feel ignored in negotiations. Complaints include being left out of decision-making and lack of accountability for developed nations.
• US withdrawal impact:
  • The withdrawal of the United States under Trump’s administration eroded trust in climate negotiations.
  • Led to a perception that the process of climate negotiations is ineffective and increasingly irrelevant.

Bonn Climate Meeting and the Road to COP30

• Bonn (Germany) climate meet (June 2025):
  • It is held annually to prepare for COP summits.
  • This year’s focus is on rebuilding confidence in the process before COP30 in Brazil.
• Brazil’s leadership role: As COP30 host, Brazil is proactively seeking reforms by floating a 30-point ideas list, aiming to make negotiations more inclusive and efficient.

Key Reform Proposals

• Structural streamlining: To – 
  • Eliminate overlapping agenda items.
  • Shorten negotiation time.
  • Limit delegation sizes to avoid crowding and dominance by wealthier nations.
• Limit on host countries:
  • Proposals to bar countries with poor climate action records (like fossil fuel dependency) from hosting COPs.
  • Backlash against hosting COPs in oil-dependent states like the UAE (Dubai, COP28) and Azerbaijan (Baku, COP29).
• Mainstreaming UNFCCC:
  • Brazil’s idea to hold discussions in other multilateral forums (e.g., UN agencies, financial institutions).
  • Proposal for alternate mechanisms that complement UNFCCC and speed up implementation.

Developing Nations’ Demand – More Climate Finance

• Finance deficit:
  • The biggest hurdle for developing countries is the lack of adequate climate finance.
  • To fulfill the 2015 Paris Agreement, developed countries are required to collectively mobilize at least $100 billion annually to assist developing nations in climate action. 
  • However, their recent pledge at the Baku meeting fell short, offering only $300 billion per year starting from 2035, while the actual needs of developing countries are estimated at $1.3 trillion annually. 
• Bonn meeting outcome:
  • Developing nations (like BRICS) have demanded more urgent and increased financial support, calling on developed countries to honor their UNFCCC and Paris Agreement financial commitments.
  • They demanded a decision on a new climate finance goal, emphasizing the urgent need for accessible, predictable, and sustained finance flows.

Civil Society and Observers’ Role

• Civil society groups must push for more transparent, inclusive negotiations.
• Demand for a restructured format of the COP meetings that limits the influence of fossil-fuel-dependent entities/ companies.

Conclusion

• Despite strong proposals and Brazil’s leadership, major structural reforms to the UNFCCC process are unlikely to be adopted soon due to lack of consensus and entrenched interests.
• However, these efforts represent an important push to make global climate governance more accountable, inclusive, and action-oriented.

Source: IE