Important organizations in environment

Organization Important features

IUCN (2011, 2015, 2017, 2023) ● International org with membership from governmental and NGOs
● Has observer and consultative status at the United Nations
● HQ: Gland, Switzerland
● Publishes red data book that contains threatened plant & animal species

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● Runs thousands of field projects around the world to better manage natural environments
● Invasive species specialist group belong to it

Global environment facility ● Established ahead of the 1992 Rio Earth Summit
(2014) ● It is a program under the world bank
● Multilateral environmental fund that provides grants and blended finance for projects
related to biodiversity, climate change, international waters, land degradation, persistent
organic pollutants (POPs), mercury,sustainable forest management, food security, and
sustainable cities in developing countries
● Does not undertake any scientific research on its own
● Serves as financial mechanism for
○ Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
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Wetland international (2014) ●
○ United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
○ United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)
○ Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants
○ Minamata Convention on Mercury

An NGO (independent organization) formed in 1954

UNCCD (2014, 2016) ● The only convention stemming from a direct recommendation of the Rio Conference's
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Agenda 21
● Only internationally legally binding framework set up to address the problem of
desertification
● 2006 was declared "International Year of Deserts and Desertification"
● COP 14 (New Delhi): Adoption of The New Delhi Declaration: Investing in Land and
Unlocking Opportunities

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WWF (2014, 2017) ● International NGO (world's largest conservation organization)
● 65% funded by individuals and remaining by banks and corporates
● Publishes Living planet report every 2 years
● Launched Earth hour and Debt for nature swap

CITES (2015) ● Also known as Washington consensus

● Is a multilateral treaty to protect endangered plants and animals from the threats of
international trade
● Participation is voluntary and countries that have agreed to be bound by the convention

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are known as Parties
● CITES is legally binding on the Parties, it does not take the place of national laws
● Four types of trade are recognised by CITES - import, export, re-export, introduction
from the sea
● Has 3 appendices for protection
○ Appendix I: Threatened with extinction. Ex: Red panda, Asian elephant, Tigers
○ Appendix II:Not necessarily threatened with extinction, but trade must be
controlled
○ Appendix Ill: Species that are protected in at least one country, and that country
has asked other CITES Parties for assistance in controlling the trade

United nations conference on ● Also known as Rio+20

(2015)
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Sustainable development

UNFCCC (2015, 2016, 2018)

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Was held 20 years after United Nations Conference on Environment and
Development (UNCED) (1992)

Multilateral environmental agreement which came into effect in 1994

Conference of parties (COP) is supreme decision making body that meets annually
Kyoto Protocol, which was signed in 1997, was the first implementation of measures
under the UNFCCC
● Kyoto Protocol was superseded by the Paris Agreement, which entered into force in
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2016
● Green climate fund is under the framework of UNFCCC
○ Financial Mechanism to assist developing countries in adaptation and mitigation
practices to counter climate change
● Momentum for change: climate neutral now is an initiative of UNFCCC secretariat

UN-REDD (2016) ● Collaborative program of FAO+UNDP+UNEP

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 ● Is a financing model negotiated under the UNFCCC to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries
● Help in tackling Biodiversity loss, Reducing poverty, Resilience of forest ecosystem

Kyoto Protocol (2016) ● Agreement under UNFCCC, adopted in 1997

● Legally binding treaty to reduce Greenhouse gas emissions
● Annex | countries: Include developed countries
● Annex II countries: Developed countries providing financial assistance to developing
countries

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● Emission reductions produced by the Clean development mechanisms are called
Certified Emission Reductions (CERs)
● Reductions produced by Joint implementation are called Emission Reduction Units
(ERUs)

Cartagena protocol (2016) ● Legally binding international agreement under UNCBD

● Aims to ensure the safe handling, transport and use of living modified organisms resulting
from modern biotech

Nagoya protocol (2016) ● Legally binding international agreement

● Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from
their Utilization
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Agenda 21 (2016)

The economics of ecosystem

and biodiversity (2016)
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Non-binding action plan of the United Nations with regard to sustainable development
Product of the Earth Summit
"21" in Agenda 21 refers to the original target of the 21st century.

Launched by Germany and European commission

International initiative that which draws attention to global economic benefits of
biodiversity
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Global climate change ● Established by European union
alliance (2017) ● To provide technical & financial cooperation to least developing countries and small island
developing states

TRAFFIC (2017) ● NGO which is a joint initiative of IUCN + WWF

● Ensures that trade in wild plants and animals is not a threat to the conservation of nature

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Climate and clean air coalition ● Initiative of UNEP+USA+Bangladesh+Ghana+ Canada+Sweden+Mexico to reduce
(2017) short lived climate pollutants such as methane, ozone, black carbon, HFCs

Partnership for action on ● Was launched in response to United nations conference on sustainable development
green economy (2018) 2012
● To support those countries that wish to embark on greener and more inclusive growth
trajectories

Alma ata declaration (2020) ● Related to primary health care

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● Was adopted in Kazakhstan (1978)

Hague convention (2020) ● Related to illegal adoption, 1983

Talanoa dialogue (2020) ● Help countries implement and enhance NDC by 2020

Under 2 coalition (2020) ● Global community of state and regional governments committed to ambitious climate
change action

New york declaration of ● 1st endorsed at United nations climate summit 2014 by governments, companies, &
forests (2021) indigenous communities
● Aims to halve the loss of natural forest by 2020 and strive to end it by 2030
● Not legally binding
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Climate group (2022)
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India is not a signatory

Non-profit organization that works with gov and business leaders around the world to
address climate change
It is secretariat for Under 2 Coalition
EP 100 is a global initiative led by it
○ Brings smart businesses to measure and report on energy efficiency and
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improvement

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