Revisiting the role of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate change (UNFCCC) and the Kyoto protocol in the fight against emissions from international civil aviation

Abstract

The issue of Climate Change emanating from increasing climate emissions and the need for reduction of aviation emission are part of the prominent sustainable environmental rights issues facing the world. The United Nations Conference of Parties (COP24) in Poland in 2018 held under the auspices of UNFCCC and Kyoto Protocol declared that Climate Change is at the crossroad and ended with a general global consensus of limiting emission below 2o Celcius by the year 2020. However, a lot of issues have been raised on why the global increase in discharge of aviation emission has continued despite the activities of UNFCCC and Kyoto Protocol at reducing global atmospheric emissions that cause climate change and other environmental degradations like flood, hurricane, draught and diseases. This paper assesses the contributions of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and Kyoto Protocol to global reduction of aviation emission with a view to providing distinct information that will further assist policy makers on a lasting solution to
the problem of aviation emission. Using doctrinal research method, the paper concludes that even though both the UNFCCC and Kyoto Protocol laid the foundation for International law on reduction of aviation emission, they have not made a satisfactory contribution to reduction of aviation emission.

Keywords: Assessment, UNFCCC, Kyoto Protocol, Global Climate Emissions, Civil Aviation, Aviation Emission