Climate Action
Saving the Earth, One Treaty at a Time
October 24, 2025
On October 24, 1945, The United Nations (UN) was officially ratified by the United States, the Soviet Union, China, France, the United Kingdom, and other major signatories. Thus, today marks United Nations Day.
The United Nations is the only global organization with universal membership, meaning nearly every country in the world (193 out of 195 recognized states) is a member. So it is the primarily and perhaps most important organization when it comes to tackling issues that need universal collaboration.
The UN’s most important goals are maintaining international peace, the protection of the rights and freedoms for all individuals, and the continued improvement of economic and social progress for all. Here are three major international treaties the UN has facilitated in the face of climate change that are attempting to honor that role.
The Montreal Protocol
Adopted on September 16, 1987, The Montreal Protocol is the first treaty in the history of the UN to hold worldwide ratification. This treaty serves as a universal protocol to regulate the production and implementation of nearly 100 man-made chemicals known as ozone depleting substances (ODS), such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). This treaty came into being after scientists discovered a link between their release into the atmosphere and the deterioration of the ozone layer. The ozone layer is a natural protectant against ultraviolet radiation from the sun. Without the ozone layer, life on Earth as we know it wouldn’t exist. Entire ecosystems, agriculture, human health, and wildlife would all be in jeopardy.
A scientific report by J. C, Farman, B. G. Gardiner, and J. D. Shanklin in 1985 revealed a significant hole in the stratospheric ozone layer that meant harmful ultraviolet radiation (UVB) was reaching the Earth’s surface at elevated rates. UVB rays are known to cause non-melanoma skin cancers as well as reduce agricultural yields and impact marine life. It was this 1985 report that led to the Montreal Protocol two years later.
The Protocol is a testament to what can be achieved when nations work together in the face of a global threat. Since its adoption, it has led to the phase-out of more than 98% of ozone-depleting substances compared to peak levels in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
The Montreal protocol is a model of cooperation. It is a product of the recognition and international consensus that ozone depletion is a global problem, both in terms of its causes and its effects. The protocol is the result of an extraordinary process of scientific study, negotiations among representatives of the business and environmental communities, and international diplomacy. It is a monumental achievement.
Ronald Reagan, the 40th president of the United States of America
It is thanks to the Protocol that by 2030, an estimated two million cases of skin cancer will be prevented annually. However the ozone battle is not over – in terms of environmental success, the 2022 UN Scientific Assessment Report on Ozone noted that ozone levels are likely to return to 1980 levels around 2066 in the Antarctic, around 2045 in the Arctic, and around 2040 worldwide based on compliance with the Protocol.
The Kyoto Protocol = Future Environmental Legislation
The Kyoto Protocol, which was adopted in 1997 and acted as the first addition to the UN’s Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), is an international treaty that committed industrialized countries and economies to decrease their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. GHGs which include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and water vapor, contribute to an overall increase in global temperatures, also known as global warming. This occurs through a process known as the greenhouse effect, which is when these gases trap the heat from the sun near Earth’s surface.
The Protocol, which officially entered into force in 2005, established several methods to ensure countries stayed on track with their emissions usage. This included the international program known as the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), which allowed for industrialized countries to invest in GHG emission reduction initiatives in developing nations.
Each CDM that an industrialized country would invest in was eligible for a certain amount of emission reduction (CER) credits that counted toward their pledge for the Protocol. These initiatives could range from renewable energy projects, such as implementing solar panels in rural parts of the world to the construction of wind farms.
Another large initiative under the protocol was to make use of natural processes known as “sinks,” which work to remove GHGs from Earth’s atmosphere. For example, planting trees helps to take up carbon dioxide from the air which would reduce the concentration of GHGs.
Through this collaborative effort, both industrialized and developing countries could meet their sustainability goals.
While the Kyoto Protocol was a masterclass in diplomacy in the battle of combating climate change, the treaty itself presented a few challenges. Reports issued two years after the protocol first took effect illustrated that many countries were still on track to fail in meeting their emissions targets. Plus it pointed out that even if their h targets were met, it would prove to be of little significance to the environment.
As a result the Paris Agreement, adopted in 2015, superseded the Kyoto Protocol as the universal global climate treaty. It called upon all countries (not just developing ones) to set emission targets.
The Paris Agreement Hinges on Collective Action
The legally binding climate treaty, the Paris Agreement, was ratified in 2015 and set out with the goal of limiting the average global temperature increases to below 1.5° C. If this goal is achieved, it will allow the 195 signatory nations to reach carbon neutrality by 2050.
The Agreement, went into effect on November 4, 2016, and is a collective effort for countries (both developed and developing) to reduce their emissions in the face of climate change.
The Paris Agreement alone will not solve the climate crisis. Even if we meet every target embodied in the agreement, we’ll only get to part of where we need to go. But make no mistake, this agreement will help delay or avoid some of the worst consequences of climate change. It will help other nations ratchet down their dangerous carbon emissions over time, and set bolder targets as technology advances, all under a strong system of transparency that allows each nation to evaluate the progress of all other nations.
Barack Obama, the 44th president of the United States of America
A core aspect of the treaty is the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). NDCs are climate action plans that each country or territory bound to the Agreement must submit every five years, with the first submission beginning in 2015. In each NDC, the country or territory must outline the specific measures they intend to take to limit their GHG emissions along with having a biennial report on their GHG emissions.
To ensure global warming does not exceed 1.5° C, global emissions must be reduced by 43% by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050. Currently, we are not on track to achieve this goal. While 107 countries, as of June 2024, that are responsible for approximately 82% of emissions, have adopted net zero pledges through laws and policy changes, it is not enough. These commitments still fall short per the Agreement’s goals.
If we are to achieve our 2050 marker of net zero emissions, it will take a collective effort of all governments, especially the large emitters, to strengthen their NDCs and take action today.
As of January 20, 2025, President Trump pulled the US out of the treaty, which means that by 2026, the US will no longer have to commit to reducing their GHG emissions. As of 2023, The US is responsible for 12.9% of global carbon dioxide emissions.
The Time for Climate Action Is Now
Over the decades, the UN has shown that it is committed to developing environmental treaties that will offer solutions and initiatives toward limiting and mitigating climate change.
However, words and documents are not enough to drive real change. We must continue to hold the UN truly accountable, along with our governments, to push for real climate reform policies.
To be a part of the ongoing mission to preserve and protect the planet we all call home, sign our Renewable Energy Petition to voice your urgencies toward global leaders to commit to phasing out fossil fuels, investing in renewable energy, and continuing to abide by the goals as addressed in the Paris Agreement.
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