Timeline of climate change discoveries and actions

Climate change discoveries

The first research that helped explain climate change dates back to 1753, when Joseph Black discovered carbon dioxide.

Then in 1827, Jean-Baptiste Fourier suggested that an atmospheric effect existed that kept the earth warmer than it would otherwise be. He used the analogy of a greenhouse.

In 1826 Swedish chemist Svante Arrhenius suggested that carbon dioxide emissions from the burning of coal would enhance the earth's greenhouse effect and lead to global warming.

In 1861 Irish physicist John Tyndall carries out research on radiant heat and the absorption of radiation by gases and vapours including CO2 and H2O. He shows that carbon dioxide can absorb in the infrared spectrum, and it can cause a change in temperature.

Early warnings

In 1967, a computer simulation calculated that average global temperatures might increase by more than four degrees Fahrenheit, depending on carbon dioxide levels.

In 1979, 12 years later, the world held its first climate conference. The conference called on governments “to foresee and prevent potential man-made changes in climate”.

In 1987, an ice core from Antarctica revealed an extremely close link between carbon dioxide levels and temperature going back more than 100,000 years.

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

In 1988, The World Meteorological Organisation and the United Nations Environment Programme established the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The IPCC's role is to assess what we know about the climate system, the impacts of climate change and possible ways forward. It does not carry out research or monitor climate-related data or other relevant parameters. In response to the First Assessment Report of the IPCC, the United Nations' General Assembly convened a series of meetings that culminated in the adoption of the UNFCCC.

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was adopted by the United Nations at the "Earth Summit" in Rio de Janeiro in May 1992. The UNFCCC took effect on 21 March 1994. The long-term objective of the UNFCCC is to prevent "dangerous anthropogenic (man-made) interference with the climate system". The 189 countries that have ratified the UNFCCC (including New Zealand) have legally committed to taking measures to address climate change, including greenhouse gas inventories, national or regional programmes, and preparation for adaptation to the impacts of climate change.

Recent actions

  • The Conference of the Parties (COP - the UNFCCC's ultimate authority) held its first session in Berlin from 28 March to 7 April 1995.
  • The IPCC finalised its Second Assessment Report in December 1995.
  • The Kyoto Protol was adopted at COP-3 in December 1997.
  • A political agreement on the operational rulebook for the Protocol was reached at COP-6 in November 2000.
  • The IPCC finalised its Third Assessment Report early in 2001.
  • The Kyoto Protocol entered into force on 16 February 2005.
  • The IPCC finalised it Fourth Assessment Report in 2007.

Last updated: 16 January 2009