Answers – International Efforts to Address Climate Change

Answer: The Montreal Protocol is considered highly successful because:

• It achieved its main goal – the ozone layer is healing and scientists predict it will fully recover by 2060
• Every country in the world joined and followed the agreement
• It successfully phased out 98% of ozone-depleting substances
• It showed that international environmental agreements can work when countries cooperate fully

Answer: The Ramsar Convention helps fight climate change by:

• Protecting wetlands that act as natural carbon sinks – they store large amounts of carbon in their soil and plants
• Preserving coastal wetlands like mangroves that protect against rising sea levels and storms
• Requiring countries to maintain the ecological character of their wetlands, which helps maintain their carbon-storing capacity

Answer: Three key principles from the Rio Declaration are:

• Sustainable Development – Countries should develop in a way that meets present needs without compromising future generations
• The Polluter Pays Principle – Those who cause environmental damage should pay for cleaning it up
• Public Participation – People should be involved in environmental decisions that affect them

Answer: The Basel Convention helps address climate change by:

• Ensuring proper waste management, which reduces methane emissions from landfills
• Preventing the burning of hazardous waste, which releases greenhouse gases
• Promoting environmentally sound waste handling methods that reduce emissions
• Encouraging countries to develop better waste management facilities and practices

Answer: The World Heritage Convention protects climate-important sites by:

• Protecting large forests like the Amazon rainforest that absorb carbon dioxide
• Preserving coral reefs that act as carbon sinks and protect coastlines
• Requiring countries to manage these sites sustainably
• Providing international support when these sites are threatened by development or damage

Answer: The UNFCCC was important because:

• It created the basic framework for international climate action that all later agreements built upon
• It established the Conference of the Parties (COP) meetings where countries regularly discuss climate action
• It set up systems for measuring and reporting greenhouse gas emissions
• It recognized that developed countries should take the lead in fighting climate change

Answer: Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) are:

• Climate action plans that each country creates for itself under the Paris Agreement
• They are important because they allow countries to set realistic targets based on their circumstances
• Countries must regularly update their NDCs and make them more ambitious over time
• They help create global commitment while respecting different national capabilities

Answer: Carbon trading under the Kyoto Protocol:

• Allows countries that emit less than their allowed amount to sell their extra allowance to countries that exceed their targets
• Creates a market mechanism that makes it financially beneficial to reduce emissions
• Helps countries meet their targets more flexibly and cost-effectively
• Encourages investment in clean technology and renewable energy

Answer: When building near a Ramsar wetland, a country must:

• Follow Ramsar Convention requirements to protect the wetland’s ecological character
• Consider the Rio Declaration principles about sustainable development
• Ensure the development won’t damage the wetland’s ability to store carbon and provide environmental services
• Consult with local communities as required by various environmental agreements
• Consider alternative locations or methods that would have less environmental impact