UN climate change conference to begin in Cancun Monday

CANCUN - The UN Climate Change Conference begins in Cancun Monday, where leaders of 194 countries would discuss their future commitments to reduce emissions and take action against climate change.

The conference would go on till Dec 10.

Rich countries had earlier pledged $30 billion to combat the affects of climate change - of which about $4 billion has been earmarked for forestry. This may be one area which sees substantial progress during this summit, with plantation projects slated to start in some developing countries.

In 1992, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was adopted as the basis for a global response to the problem. With 194 parties, the convention enjoys near-universal membership.

The ultimate objective of the Convention is to stabilise greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that will prevent dangerous human interference with the climate system.

The convention is complemented by the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, which has 192 parties. Under this treaty, 37 industrialised countries and the European Community have committed to reducing their emissions by an average of five percent by 2012 against 1990 levels.