GO GREEN TO AVOID GREEN HOUSE GASES

Direct greenhouse gases:

CO₂ - Carbon dioxide
CH₄ - Methane
N₂O - Nitrous oxide
PFCs - Perfluorocarbons
HFCs - Hydrofluorocarbons
SF₆ - Sulphur hexafluoride


 Indirect greenhouse gases :  SO₂, NOx, CO and NMVOC.


Societies can respond to climate change by reducing GHG emissions and enhancing sinks and reservoirs. The capacity to do so depends on socio-economic and environmental circumstances and the availability of information and technology. To this end, a wide variety of policies and instruments are available to governments to create the incentives for mitigation action. Mitigation is essential to meet the UNFCCC's objective of stabilizing GHG concentrations in the atmosphere. Among others, the Convention:

• Requires all Parties, taking into account their responsibilities and capabilities, to formulate and implement programmes containing measures to mitigate climate change
• Also requires all Parties to develop and periodically update national inventories of GHG emissions and removals
• Commits all Parties to promote, and cooperate in, the development, application and diffusion of climate friendly technologies
• Requires developed countries to adopt national policies and measures to limit GHG emissions and protect and enhance sinks and reservoirs
• States that the extent to which developing countries will implement their commitments will depend on financial resources and transfer of technology

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Action on mitigation: reducing emissions and enhancing sinks. A range of policies and various economy-wide packages of policy instruments have been effective in reducing GHG emissions in different sectors and many countries. According to the IPCC AR4, there is substantial technical and economic potential for the mitigation of global GHG emissions over the coming decades, that could offset the projected growth of global emissions or reduce emissions below current levels. Changes in lifestyle and behaviour patterns and management practices can contribute to climate change mitigation across all sectors.

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Reporting on national implementation and MRV. Parties to the Convention have agreed to submit to the Conference of the Parties (COP) national reports on implementation of the Convention which include commitments and activities relating to mitigation. The required contents and level of details of national reports and/or the timetable for their submission are different for developed and -developing countries. This is in accordance with the principle of "common but differentiated responsibilities" enshrined in the Convention

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