COP Supplemental Resources
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was ratified in 1992 by 197 countries (a.k.a. Parties) and adopted and implemented in 1994. It is an international environmental treaty to address climate change that has no enforcement or binding greenhouse gas emission reduction targets. The framework, however, provides opportunity for more specific treaties, called Protocols or Agreements, to be negotiated. Since 1995 the parties have met annually to take stock of progress to deal with climate change.
These meetings, called the Conference of the Parties (COP), are annual culminations of ongoing work throughout the year. COP can seem like a complicated, overwhelming subject to share with students. Some of you may be concerned that, because significant climate actions from COP are slow and imperfect, talking about COP may be more demoralizing than uplifting for your students. However, at Climate Generation we believe that exploring COP with your students is a key part of developing their climate literacy. Here are a few reasons why it is important to add COP to your lesson plan:
1. COP is a global current event that highlights the social, cultural, environmental, political, and economic implications of
climate change.
2. The international climate actions agreed upon at COP will impact everyone.
3. COP is so much more than just high-level political negotiations. COP participants come from all backgrounds and areas of the globe. They may be students, parents, activists, teachers, or leaders of small businesses, for example. Students will be inspired by individuals’ personal stories of courage, hope, optimism, and determination that can galvanize their own local climate change actions.
We hope you agree that COP is a chance to discuss climate change from both a local and global perspective, and that your students deserve to understand and get involved in the negotiations that will affect their futures.
