COP Glossary

The document serves as a glossary for individuals attending or following the COP, demystifying jargon related to climate policy, governance, and science. It defines key institutional bodies such as the UNFCCC, IPCC, and YOUNGO, as well as core policy mechanisms like the Paris Agreement, Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), and the Paris Rulebook. Additionally, it clarifies scientific and financial terms including adaptation, mitigation, climate finance, and loss and damage (L&D).

• The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is an international treaty signed in 1992 in Rio by 154 countries and the EU, which eventually grew to 197 parties. Its primary objective is to organize international efforts to limit the average rise in global temperature and manage the resulting impacts.
• The Paris Agreement, adopted by 196 Parties on 12 December 2015 and effective from 4 November 2016, is a legally binding treaty focused on finance, mitigation, and adaptation. It aims to keep global warming well below 2 degrees Celsius, and preferably 1.5 degrees, relative to pre-industrial levels.
• Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) are national climate action plans submitted to the Paris Agreement. Through NDCs, countries communicate their intended actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and build resilience to adapt to rising temperatures.
• The document distinguishes between adaptation, defined by the IPCC as the process of adjusting to actual or expected climate effects, and mitigation, defined as human intervention to reduce greenhouse gas sources or enhance sinks.
• Climate finance is defined by the UNFCCC Standing Committee on Finance as funding intended to reduce emissions, enhance greenhouse gas sinks, and increase the resilience of human and ecological systems to climate impacts.

APA

Contributor, C. (2021). COP Glossary. ClimaTalk. https://climatalk.org/2021/02/08/cop-glossary/

Chicago

Contributor, ClimaTalk. COP Glossary. ClimaTalk, 2021. https://climatalk.org/2021/02/08/cop-glossary/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Contributor |first1=ClimaTalk |title=COP Glossary |publisher=ClimaTalk |date=8 February 2021 |url=https://climatalk.org/2021/02/08/cop-glossary/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{contributor2021cop, author = {Contributor, ClimaTalk}, title = {{COP Glossary}}, institution = {ClimaTalk}, year = {2021}, month = feb, url = {https://climatalk.org/2021/02/08/cop-glossary/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }