Global Response to Climate Change: Timeline
The following table provides a chronological overview of the international response to climate change, the evolution of the United Nations policy and Canada’s involvement.
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Stockholm Conference: United Nations Conference on the Human Environment and formation of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) | June 1972 |
| World Meteorological Organization (WMO) - First World Climate Conference, Geneva, Switzerland | February 1979 |
| Formation of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) | 1998 |
| IPCC releases the First Assessment Report | Released in 1990 with a supplement released in 1992 |
| WMO - Second World Climate Conference - Geneva, Switzerland | November 1990 |
| Earth Summit: United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) | June 1992 |
| United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) | Entered into force in March 1994 |
| Publication of the IPCC Guidelines | Accepted in 1994, published in 1995 |
| Conference of the Parties (COP) 1 - Berlin, Germany | December 1995 |
| IPCC releases the Second Assessment Report | Released 1995 |
| COP 2 - Geneva, Switzerland | May 1996 |
| Release of the Revised 1996 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories | Released in 1996, reaffirmed at COP3 in 1997 |
| COP 3 - Kyoto, Japan | December 1997 |
| Kyoto Protocol signed by Canada | April 29, 1998 |
| COP 4 - Buenos Aires, Argentina | November 1998 |
| COP 5 - Bonn, Germany | October/November 1999 |
| COP 6 (Part 1) - The Hague, Netherlands | November 2000 |
| COP 6 (Part 2) - Bonn, Germany | July 2001 |
| COP 7 - Marrakech, Morocco | October/November 2001 |
| IPCC releases the Third Assessment Report | Released 2001 |
| COP 8 - New Delhi, India | October/November 2002 |
| Canada ratifies the Kyoto Protocol | December 17, 2002 |
| World Summit on Sustainable Development - Johannesburg, South Africa | Summer 2002 |
| COP 9 - Milan, Italy | December 2003 |
| Russia ratifies the Kyoto Protocol | November 2004 |
| COP 10 - Buenos Aires, Argentina | December 2004 |
| Launch of the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme | January 1, 2005 |
| Kyoto Protocol takes effect | February 16, 2005 |
| COP 11/Meeting of the Parties (MOP) 1 - Montreal, Canada | November/December 2005 |
| Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate | First meeting January 2006 |
| 2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories | Released in 2006 |
| COP 12/MOP 2 - Nairobi, Kenya | November 2006 |
| IPCC’s releases the Fourth Assessment Report | 2007 |
| Formation of Major Economies Process on Energy Security and Climate Change | May 2007 |
| COP 13/MOP 3 - Bali, Indonesia | December 2007 |
| COP 14/MOP 4 - Poznan, Poland | December 2008 |
| Launch of the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate | March 2009 |
| WMO - Third World Climate Conference – Geneva, Switzerland | August/September 2009 |
| COP 15/MOP 5 - Copenhagen, Denmark | December 2009 |
| Future COP/MOPs | |
| COP 16/MOP 6 - Mexico | 2010 |
| COP 17/MOP 7 - South Africa | 2011 |
- Date Modified: