Climate change is undoubtedly the most pervasive, complex and challenging of the global environmental issues facing society. Perceptions of climate change causes, effects, approaches and solutions are diverse, and are often divided on the basis of equitable environmental, social and development opportunities between the industrialized and developing world.
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC), adopted at the Rio Earth Summit in 1992, is unique in many respects. It commits all countries to “mitigate climate change by addressing anthropogenic emissions by sources and removals by sinks of all greenhouse gases".
The UNFCCC went on to state that “Each party shall… limit its anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases and protect and enhance its greenhouse gas sinks and reservoirs". While this statement is interpreted in many ways, it is clear that sinks are an integral component of the Convention.
