Why we need the UNFCCC
Climate change is a global problem, which requires a global solution. Australia generates about 1.5 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. While our efforts to reduce carbon pollution in Australia are important, we must work with other countries to achieve a global solution.
That is why Australia and other countries choose to address climate change in a multilateral context— together with all other countries of the world. The agreed forum for this is the United Nations, which established the UNFCCC in 1992 for this purpose.
Multilateral diplomacy is the most difficult form of diplomacy because it requires all participating countries to agree on the outcomes. However it is also potentially the most powerful—when an agreement is achieved it reflects the shared views and needs of the international community.