The UNFCCC now has 198 Parties — near-universal membership. Its ultimate goal: stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations at a level that prevents dangerous human interference with the climate system. This means achieving a balance that allows ecosystems to adapt naturally, safeguards food production and supports sustainable economic development. The Convention has facilitated significant global agreements such as the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement.
The UNFCCC’s mandate directly intersects with biodiversity and land management. Through the Joint Liaison Group, the Rio Conventions work together on shared priorities like drought resilience, food security and ecosystem restoration.
The UNFCCC supports integrated solutions that tackle climate change, biodiversity loss and land degradation together, including:
Key UNFCCC processes — Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) and the Global Stocktake — increasingly promote these cross-cutting approaches.
By fostering collaboration among national focal points, aligning science and policy, and mobilizing finance, the UNFCCC helps Parties deliver climate strategies that provide multiple environmental and social benefits.
