Good COP, Bad COP

In retrospect, 1995 was a big year. That’s when the Internet jumpstarted the Information Age, “Toy Story” became the first full-length computer-animated feature, and five major hurricanes pounded more than US$12 billion in damages across the Caribbean. 

Also that year, Germany’s environment minister, a then little-known Angela Merkel, opened the first Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change – later to become (almost) a household name as COP. 

All these events had something to say about our world, whether technological, cultural, political or environmental. Yet it is that last one that has become the defining feature – and struggle – of humanity. That meeting in Berlin was the first of the annual COPs, which have since evolved into major international events attracting tens of thousands of people. According to one estimate, more than 97,000 badges were issued to attend COP28 in person when held in Dubai last year. 

With the world turning its attention to COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, it’s as good a time as any to take a look back at some of the highlights from Berlin 1995 to Baku 2024. 

COP1 - 1995 - Berlin, Germany 

The parties agreed that prevailing efforts to combat climate change were inadequate. The resulting Berlin Mandate locked the world into a political process for countries to agree on binding targets. 

COP3 - 1997 - Kyoto, Japan 

The adoption of the landmark Kyoto Protocol, which established binding targets for developed countries to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming. Fearing those reductions would “seriously harm the economy,” the USA did not ratify the treaty. The agreement, however, primarily focused on emission cuts for developed countries, while developing countries were not subject to emission commitments. 

COP11 - Montreal, Canada 

As the Kyoto Protocol entered into force, more than 10,000 delegates attended one of the largest climate change conferences ever. The Montreal Action Plan aimed to “extend the life of the Kyoto Protocol beyond its 2012 expiration date and negotiate deeper cuts in greenhouse gas emissions.” 

COP15 - Copenhagen, Denmark 

Leaders agreed on the Copenhagen Accord that provided for explicit emission pledges by all leading economies – including, for the first time, China and other major developing countries. Developed countries agreed to the goal of mobilizing US$100 billion annually by 2020 to support climate actions in developing countries. The goal was finally met for the first time in 2022. 

COP16 - 2010 - Cancun, Mexico 

The Cancún Agreements formally established the Green Climate Fund within the UN framework. The fund’s goal is to help developing countries with financing for actions that adapt and mitigate the effects of climate change. Throughout subsequent COPs, though, progress was slow in getting the facility off the ground. 

COP17 - 2011 - Durban, South Africa 

The Durban Platform for Enhanced Action called for a future legally-binding treaty to address global warming. This future treaty would be defined by 2015 and go into effect by 2020. Crucially, the Durban Platform sought to correct a shortcoming of the Kyoto Protocol by including developing countries in the emission cut obligations. 

COP18 - 2012 - Doha, Qatar 

Under the Doha Agreement, the CO2-cutting Kyoto Protocol was extended by eight years to 2020. However, given the absence of binding targets for countries like the USA and Canada, as well as heavy emitting developing countries that were outside the scope of the Kyoto Protocol like China and India, the extension had only limited impact. 

COP21 - 2015 - Paris, France 

In perhaps the most consequential conference, delegates drafted the Paris Agreement, which aims to keep the global rise in temperature to no more than 2°C, while encouraging the far-preferable 1.5°C increase above pre-industrial levels. Under the Paris Agreement, countries would stick to their Nationally Determined Contributions to cut greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon celebrated the agreement as “a resounding success.” 

COP26 - 2021 - Glasgow, United Kingdom 

The Glasgow Climate Pact called for a “phase-down of unabated coal power” after the language was changed from “phase out” due to resistance from coal-reliant countries like China and India. Over 100 nations pledged to cut 30 percent of their emissions of methane and more than 130 nations, together possessing 90 percent of the world’s forests, agreed to reverse deforestation by 2030. 

COP27 - 2022 - Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt 

A US$100 billion “loss and damage” fund was agreed on, which would provide funding to developing countries most at risk to climate change. Such a fund would provide support to countries that may not have contributed the most to climate change, but suffer the most serious consequences. The OPEC Fund presented its Climate Action Plan and launched with the Arab Coordination Group a US$24 billion climate commitment. 

COP28 - 2023 - Dubai, United Arab Emirates 

Against the backdrop of the hottest year on record (a record broken year after year), nearly all 200 nations in attendance approved a roadmap for “transitioning away from fossil fuels in a just, orderly and equitable manner” with the aim of achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050. The OPEC Fund signed climate-relevant cooperation agreements with numerous partners, among them ADB, IAEA, IRENA and WFP.