This chapter explains two foundational elements of the climate regime: its ‘ultimate objective’ as set out in Article 2 of the Convention and its principles, set out mainly in Article 3 of the Convention. Although Articles 2 and 3 intentionally do not establish concrete commitments for individual Parties, their constraining influence on the regime as a whole is palpable at many levels. In broad terms, Article 2 provides overall guidance for the basic values and scientific orientation for the climate regime whilst Article 3 provides guidance bearing more directly on implementation of the commitments Parties have accepted under the regime and their evolution. For these reasons, the implications of Article 2 are the focus of particular attention among scientists, policy-makers and stakeholders as climate policy-makers begin to grapple with the issue of defining what constitutes ‘dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system’. The implications of the principles set out in Article 3 are also topical as policy-makers attempt to work out the potential implications of these principles for the design of the future climate regime, including who, when and in relation to what additional commitments should be formulated. This section explains Articles 2 and 3, providing in each case an analysis of their implications, additional information about their historical development, current legal status and practical illustrations of their significance to the current policy context.

Ultimate objective

Nature and scope

The Convention establishes an objective for its Parties: the ‘stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system’.