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The Parties to this Framework,

Acknowledging that change in the Earth’s climate and its adverse effects are a common concern of all humankind,

Concerned that human activities have substantially increased the atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases, that these increases accelerate the natural greenhouse effect, and that this will result on average in an additional warming of the Earth’s surface and atmosphere and may adversely affect natural ecosystems and humankind,

Aware of the role and importance in terrestrial and marine ecosystems of sinks and resolvers of greenhouse gases,

Noting that there are many uncertainties in predictions of the climate crisis, particularly with regard to the timing, magnitude and regional patterns thereof,

Recognizing the incredible strides made towards environmental justice and climate protection in the World Assembly through the passage of G.A. Resolutions 421 (Greenhouse Gas Cap And Trade Program) and 445 (Ozone Layer Protection), among others,

Acknowledging the failures of the World Assembly in ensuring climate protection and preservation by repealing G.A. Resolutions 42 (WA Environmental Council) and 92 (Cooperation in Science Act), among others,

Recalling that States have the sovereign right to exploit their own resources pursuant to their own environmental and developmental policies, but

Noting also the States responsibility to ensure that activities within their jurisdiction or control do not cause damage to the environment of other States or of areas beyond the limits of national jurisdiction,

Recognizing that States should enact effective environmental legislation, that environmental standards, management objectives and priorities should reflect the environmental and developmental context to which they apply, and that standards applied by some regions and nations may be inappropriate and of unwarranted economic and social cost to other countries, in particular regions and nations in development,

Conscious of the valuable scientific work being conducted by many States on the climate crisis and environmental protection, as well as other international and intergovernmental bodies, and the importance of the exchange of results of scientific research and the coordination of research,

Recognizing that steps required to understand and address the climate crisis will be environmentally, socially and economically most effective if they are based on relevant scientific, technical and economic considerations and continually re-evaluated in the light of new findings in these areas,

Recognizing each region and nation’s relative contributions to the enhancement of the greenhouse effect,

Recognizing further that low-lying and other small island regions and nations, regions and nations with low-lying coastal, arid and semi-arid areas or areas liable to floods, drought and desertification, and regions and nations in development with fragile mountainous ecosystems are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of the climate crisis and are already being faced with extreme challenges relating to this issue,

Recognizing the special difficulties of those regions and nations, especially those in development, whose economies are particularly dependent on fossil fuel production, use and exportation, as a consequence of action taken on limiting greenhouse gas emissions,

Recognizing that all regions and nations, especially those in development, need access to resources required to achieve sustainable social and economic development and that, in order for regions and nations in development to progress towards that goal, their energy consumption will need to grow taking into account the possibilities for achieving greater energy efficiency and for controlling greenhouse gas emissions in general, including through the application of new technologies on terms which make such an application economically and socially beneficial,

Acknowledging that the global nature of the climate crisis calls for the widest possible cooperation by all countries and their participation in an effective and appropriate international response, in accordance with their common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities and their social and economic conditions,

Determined to protect the climate system for present and future generations,

Hereby agree to the following:

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