Biodiversity and Climate Change

Abstract

This article analyses the question of a relationship between biodiversity and climate change. The legal framework for the protection of biodiversity from climate change is contained in the climate change system of treaties, i.e. the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change; the 1997 Kyoto Protocol; the 2015 Paris Agreement, on one hand; and the 1992 Convention on Biological Diversity on the other. There are also important global Conventions which contribute to combating of impacts of climate change on biodiversity, such as the Desertification Convention and the Ramsar Convention. The article discusses the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities within the context of climate change and biodiversity. The case study is the Arctic, which illustrates the impact of climate change on biodiversity.