The Ultimate Reference Guide to UNFCCC
COPs (1 to 30)
1. Comparative Reference Table (COPs 1–30)
COP Year Location Primary Major Key Challenge / Critique
Treaty / Breakthrou
Decision gh
1 1995 Berlin, The Berlin Agreed that Excluded developing nations
Germany Mandate developed from binding commitments.
nations
must take
the lead on
emissions.
2 1996 Geneva, Geneva Accepted Highly contentious debate
Switzerland Ministerial IPCC over scientific certainty.
Declaration Second
Assessmen
t Report
(SAR)
findings.
3 1997 Kyoto, Kyoto First legally USA failed to ratify; lacked
Japan Protocol binding targets for major emerging
targets for markets.
developed
nations.
4 1998 Buenos Buenos Established Delayed critical structural
Aires, Aires Plan a two-year decisions on carbon markets.
Argentina of Action timeline to
operationali
ze Kyoto.
5 1999 Bonn, Technical Standardize Little progress on actual
Germany Decisions d national emission reduction pathways.
reporting
guidelines
for
greenhouse
gases.
6 2000/01 The Hague / The Bonn Saved Sinks rules were weakened to
Bonn Agreement Kyoto secure compromise.
Protocol
after US
withdrawal;
resolved
land-use
rules.
7 2001 Marrakech, Marrakech Formulated Complex rules delayed the
Morocco Accords the detailed launch of the Clean
"rulebook" Development Mechanism
for Kyoto (CDM).
mechanism
s.
8 2002 New Delhi, Delhi Shifted Developed countries criticized
India Declaration focus the lack of mitigation focus.
toward
technology
transfer
and
adaptation.
9 2003 Milan, Italy Adaptation Finalized Low funding commitments
Fund rules for relative to growing global
Guidance forestry needs.
sinks and
operationali
zed the
Adaptation
Fund.
10 2004 Buenos BA Plan of Launched Retained a non-binding
Aires, Action on structured framework for key actions.
Argentina Adaptation assessment
programs
for
vulnerability
.
11 2005 Montreal, Montreal Kyoto Highlighted a deep divide
Canada Action Plan Protocol between US and Kyoto
formally parties.
entered
into force;
mapped
post-2012
steps.
12 2006 Nairobi, Nairobi Focused Failed to secure concrete
Kenya Work heavily on financial pledges for
Programme adapting adaptation.
vulnerable
African
economies.
13 2007 Bali, Bali Action Established Plagued by diplomatic
Indonesia Plan a gridlock over emission
"Roadmap" reduction ranges.
toward a
post-2012
global
agreement.
14 2008 Poznan, Poznan Operational Negligible progress on setting
Poland Strategic ized post-2012 mitigation targets.
Programme technology
transfer
mechanism
s.
15 2009 Copenhage Copenhage Set the Widely condemned as a
n, Denmark n Accord political failure with no binding
target
commitments.
and a
annual
finance
goal.
16 2010 Cancun, Cancun Formalized Replaced top-down binding
Mexico Agreement Copenhage goals with voluntary pledges.
s n targets
and
established
the Green
Climate
Fund.
17 2011 Durban, Durban Mandated Postponed immediate
South Platform the creation mitigation action until 2020.
Africa (ADP) of a
universal,
legally
binding
treaty by
2015.
18 2012 Doha, Doha Extended Key emitters (Russia, Japan,
Qatar Amendmen the Kyoto Canada) pulled out of the
t Protocol via extension.
a second
commitmen
t period.
19 2013 Warsaw, Warsaw Formally Blocked by wealthy countries
Poland Mechanism established from having independent
(WIM) the Loss funding.
and
Damage
framework.
20 2014 Lima, Peru Lima Call Created the Lacked common review
for Climate structure standards for national
Action for pledges.
Intended
Nationally
Determined
Contributio
ns (INDCs).
21 2015 Paris, Paris Adopted Relies on voluntary pledges
France Agreement the with no enforcement
landmark mechanisms.
to
temperatur
e target.
22 2016 Marrakech, Marrakech Fast- Overshadowed by US political
Morocco Action tracked shifts and withdrawal threats.
Proclamatio Paris
n ratification
and began
writing the
"Paris
Rulebook."
23 2017 Bonn, Talanoa Introduced Deepening disagreements
Germany Dialogue a over climate finance
collaborativ transparency.
e platform
to assess
and raise
ambition.
24 2018 Katowice, Katowice Finalized Failed to reach an agreement
Poland Rulebook the on carbon market rules
operational (Article 6).
rules for the
Paris
Agreement.
25 2019 Madrid, Chile Pushed Widely seen as a deadlock on
Spain Madrid countries to carbon markets and finance.
Time for increase
Action ambition in
their 2020
NDCs.
26 2021 Glasgow, Glasgow Targeted India and China watered down
UK Climate the phase- text from "phase-out" to
Pact down of "phase-down."
coal;
finalized
Article 6
rules.
27 2022 Sharm El- Sharm El- Created a Lacked progress on phasing
Sheikh, Sheikh dedicated out fossil fuels and setting
Egypt Implementa Loss and fund donors.
tion Plan Damage
Fund for
vulnerable
nations.
28 2023 Dubai, UAE UAE Completed Backroom deals and loopholes
Consensus the first for "abatement" technologies.
Global
Stocktake;
agreed to
"transition
away from
fossil fuels."
29 2024 Baku, Baku Set a new Developing nations criticized
Azerbaijan Finance finance the amount as vastly
Goal target of at insufficient.
(NCQG) least
annually by
2035.
30 2025 Belém, Belém Delivered Unresolved details on
Brazil Political NDC 3.0 standardizing national
Package updates; bioeconomy metrics.
launched
the Belém
Action
Mechanism
(BAM).
Era 1: The Kyoto Era (COPs 1–11)
This foundational decade established the initial rules of international climate governance, utilizing a top-down
model where developed countries agreed to legally binding emission reduction targets.
● COP 1 (1995) – Berlin, Germany: Formulated the Berlin Mandate, acknowledging that developed
nations (Annex I) bore historical responsibility for greenhouse gas emissions and must lead the response.
● COP 2 (1996) – Geneva, Switzerland: Accepted the findings of the IPCC Second Assessment Report
(SAR), recognizing the human fingerprint on global warming and establishing the scientific baseline for a
future treaty.
● COP 3 (1997) – Kyoto, Japan: The landmark adoption of the Kyoto Protocol, which committed
industrial nations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an average of below 1990 levels during
the first commitment period (2008–2012).
● COP 4 (1998) – Buenos Aires, Argentina: Established a two-year timeline (the Buenos Aires Plan of
Action) to design the operational rules of the Kyoto Protocol, specifically its market mechanisms.
● COP 5 (1999) – Bonn, Germany: Primarily a technical meeting focused on guidelines for national
greenhouse gas inventories and reporting systems.
● COP 6 (2000 & 2001) – The Hague, Netherlands / Bonn, Germany: Initially suspended in 2000 due to
deep disagreements between the EU and the US over carbon sinks. Resumed in Bonn in 2001, resulting in
the Bonn Agreement to salvage Kyoto after the United States formally withdrew under the Bush
administration.
● COP 7 (2001) – Marrakech, Morocco: Translated the Bonn Agreement into the Marrakech Accords,
providing the detailed "rulebook" for the Kyoto Protocol's flexible mechanisms, including the Clean
Development Mechanism (CDM), Joint Implementation, and international emissions trading.
● COP 8 (2002) – New Delhi, India: Produced the Delhi Declaration, which focused heavily on
technology transfer and adaptation needs for developing nations, reflecting India's efforts to balance
developmental needs with environmental responsibilities.
● COP 9 (2003) – Milan, Italy: Finalized the technical rules governing carbon-sink forestry projects within
the CDM and approved guidance for the newly created Adaptation Fund.
● COP 10 (2004) – Buenos Aires, Argentina: Established the Buenos Aires Plan of Action on
Adaptation and Response Measures, providing structured support to developing countries facing
extreme weather impacts.
● COP 11 (2005) – Montreal, Canada: Celebrated the formal entry into force of the Kyoto Protocol. The
meeting launched a dual-track negotiation process to discuss future commitment periods under Kyoto
alongside new long-term action pathways.
Era 2: The Transition & Copenhagen Era (COPs 12–16)
As the first Kyoto commitment period neared its end, negotiators struggled to design a successor
framework. The top-down treaty model fractured under geopolitical divisions, resulting in the crisis of
Copenhagen and a subsequent system reset.
● COP 12 (2006) – Nairobi, Kenya: Developed the Nairobi Work Programme, a landmark framework
designed to help developing countries—particularly in Africa—understand and adapt to climate change.
● COP 13 (2007) – Bali, Indonesia: Adopted the Bali Action Plan (Bali Roadmap), which charted a two-
year course toward a new global climate agreement to succeed the first phase of the Kyoto Protocol in
2009.
● COP 14 (2008) – Poznan, Poland: Launched the Poznan Strategic Programme on Technology
Transfer, facilitating the sharing of clean technologies with developing nations.
● COP 15 (2009) – Copenhagen, Denmark: Highly anticipated but widely regarded as a diplomatic
failure. Negotiations stalled, culminating in the non-binding Copenhagen Accord. It did, however,
establish the target of limiting warming to and introduced the goal of mobilizing
annually in climate finance by 2020.
● COP 16 (2010) – Cancun, Mexico: Rebuilt trust in the multilateral process following the Copenhagen
crisis. The Cancun Agreements formally established the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and voluntary
emission reduction pledges.
Era 3: The Road to Paris & Rulebook Era (COPs 17–25)
Moving away from the top-down Kyoto model, this era focused on designing a universal, bottom-up
framework (the Paris Agreement) and draft the exhaustive legal rules required to run it.
● COP 17 (2011) – Durban, South Africa: Launched the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action (ADP), a
mandate to negotiate a universal, legally binding climate treaty by 2015 to take effect in 2020.
● COP 18 (2012) – Doha, Qatar: Adopted the Doha Amendment, establishing a second commitment
period for the Kyoto Protocol (2013–2020) to bridge the ambition gap until the post-2020 framework
took effect.
● COP 19 (2013) – Warsaw, Poland: Established the Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and
Damage (WIM) to address the unavoidable impacts of climate change in highly vulnerable, developing
nations.
● COP 20 (2014) – Lima, Peru: Produced the Lima Call for Climate Action, which established the ground
rules for how countries would submit their Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) ahead
of the Paris summit.
● COP 21 (2015) – Paris, France: The landmark adoption of the Paris Agreement. Over 190 nations
agreed to limit global warming to well below , preferably to , above pre-industrial levels. It
introduced a bottom-up structure of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) with a mandatory
five-year review cycle.
● COP 22 (2016) – Marrakech, Morocco: Issued the Marrakech Action Proclamation, shifting focus
from political design to the practical implementation and writing of the "Paris Rulebook."
● COP 23 (2017) – Bonn, Germany: Hosted under the presidency of Fiji, this COP featured the Talanoa
Dialogue, a traditional Pacific island storytelling format designed to build trust and encourage countries
to increase their emissions targets.
● COP 24 (2018) – Katowice, Poland: Successfully finalized the Katowice Rulebook, establishing the
guidelines for the Paris Agreement's Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF) and global stocktake
rules.
● COP 25 (2019) – Madrid, Spain: Held under the presidency of Chile, this session ended in a deadlock,
failing to reach an agreement on carbon market rules (Article 6) and concluding with a weak call for
countries to increase ambition in 2020.
Era 4: Ambition, Loss, and Implementation (COPs 26–30)
Characterized by the practical application of the Paris Agreement, this era has focused on the phase-down
of fossil fuels, the financial operationalization of loss and damage, and the creation of new climate finance
goals.
● COP 26 (2021) – Glasgow, UK: Delayed by one year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Adopted the
Glasgow Climate Pact, which was the first COP decision to explicitly mention coal, calling for a "phase-
down" of unabated coal power. It also finalized the Article 6 rules for international carbon markets.
● COP 27 (2022) – Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt: Concluded with a historic breakthrough for developing
nations: the formal establishment of a dedicated Loss and Damage Fund to help vulnerable countries
recover from extreme climate disasters.
● COP 28 (2023) – Dubai, UAE: Concluded the first Global Stocktake (GST). The resulting UAE
Consensus called on all countries to transition away from fossil fuels in energy systems, starting this
decade, to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.
● COP 29 (2024) – Baku, Azerbaijan: Structured around the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG)
on climate finance. Negotiators agreed to set a new public finance target of at least
annually by 2035 for developing countries to replace the previous goal.
● COP 30 (2025) – Belém, Brazil: Focused on the submission of updated, more ambitious Nationally
Determined Contributions (NDCs 3.0) for the post-2030 period. Delivered the Belém Political Package
alongside the Belém Action Mechanism (BAM), a formal framework designed to scale up just-transition
funding and integrate indigenous knowledge directly into biodiversity and forestry preservation efforts.