Major milestones in the international climate change regime
| 1988 | UNEP and WMO establish the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which produces regular scientific and technical assessments on climate change |
| 1992 | The U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change is agreed to at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The Convention enters into force in 1994. |
| 1995 | The IPCC Second Assessment Report concludes that the balance of evidence suggests a discernible human influence on the global climate |
| 1997 | Adoption of the Kyoto Protocol to the UN Climate Convention |
| 2001 | The IPCC Third Assessment Report finds stronger connections between human activities and the global climate system. The United States announces that it will not become a Party to the Kyoto Protocol Other signatories adopt the "Marrakesh Accords," a set of detailed rules for the implementation of the Kyoto Protocol. |
| 2004 | Russian Federation ratifies the Kyoto Protocol, triggering its entry into force in February 2005 |
| 2005 | First meeting of the Parties of the Kyoto Protocol takes place in Montreal, Canada |
