UNFCCC
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the international treaty under which countries negotiate their shared response.
Example
The annual Conference of the Parties meets under the convention, and the Paris Agreement was adopted within it.
The catch
The convention sets shared objectives and processes, while emission commitments come through later agreements and national pledges.
Related terms
Climate change, Conference of the Parties, Paris Agreement, 1.5°C goal, Carbon pricing, Carbon tax
In more depth
UNFCCC, explained.
The UNFCCC's core aim is to stabilise greenhouse gas concentrations at a level that prevents dangerous human interference with the climate system, and later agreements, including the Paris Agreement, describe themselves as serving that objective. The convention opened for signature at the Rio Earth Summit and has near-universal membership. It established the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, which still shapes arguments about who should cut first and who should pay.
The acronym also names the secretariat in Bonn, which organises negotiations and receives national reports. Parties never agreed voting rules. Decisions at each Conference of the Parties are taken by consensus in practice, and a determined objection can stall agreement. Distinguish the convention from the secretariat when you cite it.