As last step of this short introduction you are asked to answer the following questions to check your basic understanding of climate governance. Just click on the question to find the answer. Below, you can find suggestions for further reading, in case you feel you should increase your background knowledge on climate governance.

• Question 1: Who participates at the Conference of the Parties (COP) of the UNFCCC?
  The official part of the Conference of the Parties consists of the government delegations that have ratified the UNFCCC, and at the same time there are several side events that attract many non-state actors. As described by the UNFCCC: “The COP is the supreme decision-making body of the Convention. All States that are Parties to the Convention are represented at the COP, at which they review the implementation of the Convention and any other legal instruments that the COP adopts and take decisions necessary to promote the effective implementation of the Convention, including institutional and administrative arrangements.” These meetings take place every year, and attract a large number of participants. Not only the governments that have ratified the UNFCCC, but also NGO’s, researchers and media.
• Question 2: What is an important principle within the Kyoto protocol?
  The Kyoto protocol of 1997 acknowledges there are “common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capacities” in relation to climate change. Not all countries have the same historical contribution to greenhouse gas emissions and the financial capacities to take actions. Only annex I countries under the UNFCCC, which are commonly called the developed countries, committed to reduce their greenhouse gases in the Kyoto protocol.
• Question 3: Through which market mechanism were developing countries involved in the Kyoto protocol?
  The Kyoto Protocol included three market mechanisms, with the aim for mitigation actions to take place in an efficient way. The Clean Development Mechanism allows a country with an obligation under the Kyoto protocol to take emission-reduction actions in a developing country to earn certified emission reduction credits. In this way, the Kyoto protocol has stimulated mitigation projects in developing worlds. The other market mechanisms in the Kyoto protocol focus more on change between developed countries, either by implementation of projects in another country (joint implementation) or through direct exchange of emission credits (international emission trading).
• Question 4: Who are now involved in the Paris Agreement that were excluded from the Kyoto Protocol?
  All nations of the world can contribute to the Paris Agreement. In contrast to the Kyoto Protocol, there is no distinction made between developing (Annex II) and developed countries (Annex I). Instead each nation that has ratified the Paris Agreement contributes to the pledges of nationally Determined Contributions (NDC’s) which they themselves think fit with their responsibility and capacity. Although, non-state actors are encouraged and supported to contribute, only states are officially part of the Paris Agreement.
• Question 5: What is a crucial element of the Paris Agreement?
  A crucial element of the Paris Agreement are the Nationally Determined Contributions. Through these voluntary commitments each country sets their mitigation objective. As stated in Article 4 paragraph 2 of the Paris Agreement: “Each Party shall prepare, communicate and maintain successive nationally determined contributions (NDCs) that it intends to achieve. Parties shall pursue domestic mitigation measures, with the aim of achieving the objectives of such contributions.” (Paris Agreement, COP 21, 2015).

Additional reading:
•    The UNFCCC has made an introduction guide to the UN Climate change regime, which you can find here or visit the site of the UNFCCC . This information is also available as PDF.
•    For more information on the Conference of the Parties (COP) of the UNFCCC, see the summary that you can find here.
•    For more information on the Kyoto protocol, see the summary that you can find here.
•    For more information on the Clean Development Mechanisms and other market mechanisms, see the summary that you can find here.
•    For more information on NDC’s, see the f summary that you can find here.