Adaption and Mitigation to Climate Change

National Reports

Note: Peru’s report was in Spanish, Brazil was selected as a close surrounding area.

Brazil’s initial national communication to The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) base on the Ministry of Science and Technology is dated November 2004. The two interesting examples of efforts that Brazil is pursuing towards preparedness to adapt to future impacts of climate change are Anthropogenic Emissions and removal of greenhouse gases not controlled by the Montreal Protocol. There are several sectors that play a role in the greenhouse gases.  Energy Sector, Industrial Sector, agriculture sector, land-use change and forestry sector, waste sector, and solvents and other products used.

In the energy sector, all anthropogenic emissions from energy production, transformation, and consumption are estimated and include emissions resulting from fuel combustion and fugitive emission in the chain production, transformation, transmission, and consumption. (1)

 Estimates of greenhouse gas emissions in Brazil, in 1994 (1)

According to the report Brazil does not have commitments to reduce or limit its anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases, however, in spite of this there are still many programs in Brazil that result in a considerable reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to the ultimate objective of the UNFCCC.  Some of the initiatives are responsible for Brazil’s “Clean” energy mix. With low levels of greenhouse gas emissions. (1)

Adaption: Practices, options and constraints

The neatest thing I found about Peru’s region is the natural ecosystems and is that tropical countries in the region can reduce deforestation through adequate funding of programmes designed to enforce environmental legislation, support for economic alternatives to extensive forest clearing (including carbon crediting),which is a permit that allows the holder to emit one ton of carbon dioxide. Credits are awarded to countries or groups that have reduced their greenhouse gases below their emission quota. Carbon credits can be traded in the international market at their current market price, (2)  and building capacity in remote forest regions, as recently suggested in part of the Brazilian Amazon (Nepstad et al., 2002; Fearnside, 2003). Moreover, substantial amounts of forest can be saved in protected areas if adequate funding is available (Bruner et al., 2001; Pimm et al., 2001). (3) 

Kyoto Protocol

(4)

The Kyoto Protocol is an international agreement linked to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which commits its Parties by setting internationally binding emission reduction targets.

Recognizing that developed countries are principally responsible for the current high levels of GHG emissions in the atmosphere as a result of more than 150 years of industrial activity, the Protocol places a heavier burden on developed nations under the principle of "common but differentiated responsibilities."

The Kyoto Protocol was adopted in Kyoto, Japan, on 11 December 1997 and entered into force on 16 February 2005. The detailed rules for the implementation of the Protocol were adopted at COP 7 in Marrakesh, Morocco, in 2001, and are referred to as the "Marrakesh Accords." Its first commitment period started in 2008 and ended in 2012. (4)

Kyoto, 11 December 1997

Entry into force: 16 February 2005, in accordance with article 25 (1) in accordance with article 25 (3) which reads as follows: "For each State or regional economic integration organization that ratifies, accepts or approves this Protocol or accedes thereto after the conditions set out in paragraph 1 above for entry into force have been fulfilled, this Protocol shall enter into force on the ninetieth day following the date of deposit of its instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession.".

Registration: 16 February 2005, No. 30822.

Status: Signatories: 83. Parties: 192

Note: The Protocol was adopted at the third session of the Conference of the Parties to the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (“the Convention”), held at Kyoto (Japan) from 1 to 11 December 1997. The Protocol shall be open for signature by States and regional economic integration organizations which are Parties to the Convention at United Nations Headquarters in New York from 16 March 1998 to 15 March 1999 in accordance with its article 24 (1).

 

Participant	Signature	Ratification Acceptance (A) Accession (a) Approval (AA)	Entry into force
PERU	13 Nov 1998	12 Sep 2002	16 Feb 2005

(5)

Countries effort towards mitigating Climate Change

According to the United Nations Environment Programme Climate Change Mitigation refers to efforts to reduce or prevent emission of greenhouse gases. Mitigation can mean using new technologies and renewable energies, making older equipment more energy efficient, or changing management practices or consumer behavior. It can be as complex as a plan for a new city, or as a simple as improvements to a cook stove design. Efforts underway around the world range from high-tech subway systems to bicycling paths and walkways. Protecting natural carbon sinks like forests and oceans, or creating new sinks through silviculture or green agriculture are also elements of mitigation. UNEP takes a multifaceted approach towards climate change mitigation in its efforts to help countries move towards a low-carbon society. (6) Halting deforestation, limiting transportation, decreasing agricultural waste and inefficiency including turning agriculture a brighter shade of green will not only ease pressure on the environment and help cope with climate change, but will also create opportunities to diversify economies, increase yields, reduce costs, and generate jobs and building are some of the way the regions (7) The damage from the rich countries have cause climate change across the world and adaption money at this point does not seem that it will be an aid and we can’t wait until 2010 when a comprehensive  international agreement on climate change goes into effect.

  

Mitigate or Adapt to climate change.

Since most of my data is not specific to Peru because it was in Spanish it is more specific to the region I can give an definite opinion on whether or not they should mitigate or adapt to climate change, but as an overall region I think they are doing what they can to contribute to the adaption of climate change whether parts of the region needs to adapt considering they have a “clean” report.

 Work Cited

1. http://unfccc.int/resource/docs/natc/brazilnc1e.pdf
2. http://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/carbon_credit.asp
3. http://www.ipcc.ch/publications_and_data/ar4/wg2/en/ch13s13-5.html
4. http://unfccc.int/kyoto_protocol/items/2830.php
5. http://unfccc.int/kyoto_protocol/status_of_ratification/items/2613.php
6. http://www.unep.org/climatechange/mitigation/
7. http://www.unep.org/climatechange/mitigation/Agriculture/tabid/104336/Default.aspx