The world s scientists have a greater understanding today of the far-reaching impacts of greenhouse gas emissions on global climate than they had when CFCs were banned to protect the ozone layer. Strong and vocal opposition to a verifiable legally binding agreement to limit greenhouse gas emissions comes in large part from entrenched and powerful fossil fuel interests threatened by the need to convert to a world that relies far less heavily on these fuels.
International cooperation is needed to address global climate change.
The total costs of achieving a particular global target would decline as more and more countries commit to reductions, since the costs of incremental reductions in emissions increase with the level of abatement. This section reviews the international political agreements that have been signed, their failure to stabilize greenhouse gas emissions at 1990 levels as proscribed under the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, and the current U.S. position on what form an international treaty to limit greenhouse gas emissions should take. Finally, the possible components of the agreement likely to be produced at December s Kyoto summit are discussed. 5.1 Events Lead to the Framework Convention on Climate Change Scientists first began monitoring the atmosphere for carbon dioxide and temperature variations in the 1950s. In the 1970s and 80s computer and satellite technologies permitted more precise detection of trends in greenhouse gases.