An Overview of the Conferences of the Parties (COP)

The Conference of the Parties (COP) is a recurring conference held under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The COP serves as the governing body of the UNFCCC and is responsible for reviewing the implementation of the Convention and for adopting decisions to further its goals. With COP27 occurring within the next month, we thought it would be insightful to provide an overview of all the past COP conferences.

COP 1 (1995): The 1st COP conference was held in Berlin, Germany. At this conference, the Parties to the UNFCCC adopted the Berlin Mandate, which established the basis for negotiations on the Kyoto Protocol, an international treaty designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

COP 2 (1996): The 2nd COP conference was held in Geneva, Switzerland. At this conference, the Parties adopted the Geneva Declaration on the Right to Development, which recognized the right to development as a universal and inalienable right and the need to ensure that the right is exercised in a manner consistent with the protection and promotion of the environment.

COP 3 (1997): The 3rd COP conference was held in Kyoto, Japan. At this conference, the Parties adopted the Kyoto Protocol, which established binding targets for industrialized countries to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. The Protocol also established a system of international trade in emissions allowances, known as the Clean Development Mechanism, which allows industrialized countries to offset their emissions by investing in emissions-reducing projects in developing countries.

COP 4 (1998): The 4th COP conference was held in Buenos Aires, Argentina. At this conference, the Parties adopted a number of decisions related to the implementation of the Kyoto Protocol, including the Buenos Aires Plan of Action, which established a process for reviewing and improving the Protocol's effectiveness.

COP 5 (1999): The 5th COP conference was held in The Hague, Netherlands. At this conference, the Parties attempted to negotiate an amendment to the Kyoto Protocol that would have set new, more stringent emissions targets for industrialized countries. However, these negotiations were not successful and the conference ended without an agreement being reached.

COP 6 (2000): The 6th COP conference was held in Marrakesh, Morocco. At this conference, the Parties adopted the Marrakesh Accords, which established the rules and procedures for the implementation of the Kyoto Protocol.

COP 7 (2001): The 7th COP conference was held in New Delhi, India. At this conference, the Parties adopted a number of decisions related to the implementation of the Kyoto Protocol, including the New Delhi Work Programme, which established a process for reviewing the Protocol's effectiveness.

COP 8 (2002): The 8th COP conference was held in 2003 in Milan, Italy. At this conference, the Parties adopted a number of decisions related to the implementation of the Kyoto Protocol, including the Milan Programme of Action, which established a process for reviewing the Protocol's effectiveness.

COP 9 (2003): The 13th COP conference was held in Buenos Aires, Argentina. At this conference, the Parties adopted a number of decisions related to the implementation of the Kyoto Protocol, including the Buenos Aires Programme of Action, which established a process for reviewing the Protocol's effectiveness.

COP 10 (2004): The 10th COP conference was held in Montreal, Canada. At this conference, the Parties adopted the Montreal Action Plan, which set out a roadmap for negotiations on a post-2012 climate change agreement.

COP 11 (2005): The 11th COP conference was held in Nairobi, Kenya. At this conference, the Parties adopted the Nairobi Framework for Action, which established a process for reviewing the effectiveness of the UNFCCC and the Kyoto Protocol.

COP 13 (2007): The 13th COP conference was held in Bali, Indonesia in 2007. At this conference, the Parties adopted the Bali Roadmap, which outlined a two-year process for negotiations on a new international climate agreement to replace the Kyoto Protocol, which was set to expire in 2012. The Bali Roadmap also established the Ad Hoc Working Group on Long-Term Cooperative Action (AWG-LCA) to negotiate the new agreement.

COP 14 (2008): The 19th COP conference was held in Poznan, Poland in 2008. It marked the halfway point of the Bali Roadmap process. At this conference, Parties made progress on a number of key issues, including the establishment of a framework for REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation), which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries.

COP 15 (2009): The 15th COP conference was held in Copenhagen, Denmark in 2009. It was a highly anticipated conference, as it was seen as the last opportunity for Parties to reach a new international climate agreement before the expiration of the Kyoto Protocol. However, the conference ended in disappointment, as Parties were unable to reach a legally binding agreement. Instead, they adopted the Copenhagen Accord, which was a non-binding agreement that set voluntary emissions reduction targets for developed countries and established a fund to help developing countries adapt to and mitigate the impacts of climate change.

COP 16 (2010): The 16th COP conference was held in Cancun, Mexico in 2010. It marked the beginning of the second phase of the Bali Roadmap process. At this conference, Parties adopted the Cancun Agreements, which included a number of important decisions on issues such as REDD+, adaptation, and financing for developing countries.

COP 17 (2011): The 79th COP conference was held in Durban, South Africa in 2011 and was another highly anticipated conference, as it was seen as the last opportunity for Parties to reach a new international climate agreement before the expiration of the Kyoto Protocol. At this conference, Parties agreed to negotiate a new legally binding agreement to be adopted by 2015, with the goal of entering into force by 2020. This new agreement, known as the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action, also established the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action (ADP) to negotiate the new agreement.

COP 18 (2012): The 18th COP conference was held in Doha, Qatar in 2012 and was the first COP conference after the expiration of the Kyoto Protocol. At this conference, Parties adopted the Doha Amendment to the Kyoto Protocol, which established new emissions reduction targets for developed countries under the Protocol. Parties also made progress on a number of other issues, including the establishment of a mechanism to reduce emissions from aviation and shipping, and the establishment of a new financial mechanism to help developing countries adapt to and mitigate the impacts of climate change.

COP 19 (2013): The 19th COP conference was held in Warsaw, Poland. One of the main outcomes of the conference was the adoption of the Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage, which established a framework for developing countries to seek financial assistance for the impacts of climate change. The conference also established the Green Climate Fund, which aims to provide financing to developing countries to help them transition to low-carbon and climate-resilient economies. In addition, the conference agreed on the need to enhance the transparency of climate action and the importance of increasing ambition in order to stay within the 2°C temperature limit.

COP 20 (2014): The 20th COP conference was held in Lima, Peru. The conference focused on the development of a new international climate agreement, which was adopted at the conference in Paris the following year. One of the main outcomes of the conference was the adoption of the Lima Call for Climate Action, which established the framework for the negotiations leading up to the Paris Agreement. The conference also established the Lima Work Programme on Gender, which aims to address the gender-specific impacts of climate change and promote the participation of women in climate action.

COP 21 (2015): The 21st COP conference, also known as the 2015 Paris Climate Conference, was held in Paris, France. The conference resulted in the adoption of the Paris Agreement, which aims to limit global warming to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C. The Paris Agreement also established a framework for countries to report on their greenhouse gas emissions and progress in achieving their climate goals.

COP 22 (2016): The 22nd COP conference was held in Marrakech, Morocco. The conference focused on the implementation of the Paris Agreement and the development of the rules and guidelines for its implementation. One of the main outcomes of the conference was the adoption of the Marrakech Action Proclamation, which reaffirmed the commitment of Parties to the Paris Agreement and called for increased action to implement the Agreement. The conference also established the Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action, which aims to accelerate climate action and enhance cooperation among countries and other stakeholders.

COP 23 (2017): The 23rd COP conference was held in Bonn, Germany. The conference focused on the implementation of the Paris Agreement and the development of the guidelines for its implementation. One of the main outcomes of the conference was the adoption of the Bonn-Fiji Commitment, which reaffirmed the commitment of Parties to the Paris Agreement and called for increased action to implement the Agreement. The conference also established the Gender Action Plan, which aims to promote gender equality and the empowerment of women in climate action.

COP 24 (2018): The 24th COP conference was held in Katowice, Poland. The conference focused on the implementation of the Paris Agreement and the development of the rules and guidelines for its implementation. One of the main outcomes of the conference was the adoption of the Katowice Climate Package, which established the rules and guidelines for the implementation of the Paris Agreement. The conference also established the Katowice Action for Renewable Energy, which aims to accelerate the transition to renewable energy and enhance international cooperation on renewable energy.

COP 25 (2019): The 25th COP conference was held in Madrid, Spain. The conference was originally scheduled to take place in Santiago, Chile, but was later moved to Madrid due to political unrest in Chile. The conference focused on the implementation of the Paris Agreement and the development of the rules and guidelines for its implementation. One of the main outcomes of the conference was the adoption of the Madrid Communiqué, which reaffirmed the commitment of Parties to the Paris Agreement and called for increased action to implement the Agreement. The conference also established the Madrid Forum on Education and Training for Sustainable Development, which aims to enhance education and training on climate action.

COP 26 (2021): The 26th COP conference was originally scheduled to take place in Glasgow, Scotland, but was later postponed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The conference is focused on the implementation of the Paris Agreement and the development of the rules and guidelines for its implementation. It also, to some extent, addressed the need for increased ambition in climate action in order to stay within the 2°C temperature limit.

We are looking forward to the provisions and the advancements that will hopefully occur at COP27. There have been great conferences in the past, though some have also been underwhelming. We remain optimistic about the United Nations’ take on climate change and hope that they will implement the necessary policy for the future of our planet.