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Convention for the Prevention of Pollution of the Sea by Oil
Seeking to prevent ocean pollution by oil discharged from ships, this pact limits discharges of oil-contaminated wastes. It allows exceptions for discharges with low levels of oil contamination; and for tankers that discharged only a small percentage of their total cargo-carrying capacity or released oil-contaminated ballast more than 80 kilometers from the nearest land. -
The Ramsar Convention
The Convention on Wetlands, signed in Ramsar, Iran, provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources. Eventually, there will be 158 contracting parties to the convention and 1,743 protected wetland sites -- totaling 161 million hectares -- designated for inclusion in the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance. -
MARPOL
The MARPOL Convention is a major international pact to prevent pollution of the marine environment, from operational or accidental causes, by ships. -
CITES
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), one of the earliest international agreements addressing the plight of endangered species, is adopted in Washington, with the United States one of the 21 original signatories. More than 170 nations will become parties to CITES. -
Montreal Protocol
The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer calls for phasing out production and consumption of compounds that deplete ozone in the stratosphere -- chlorofluorocarbons, halons, carbon tetrachloride and methyl chloroform. This will be accomplished in 2000 for most of the listed substances and in 2004 for methyl chloroform. -
Convention on Biological Diversity
This agreement, adopted at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is part of a comprehensive strategy for sustainable development -- meeting the needs of the current generation of human beings while ensuring a healthy and viable world for future generations. -
Kyoto Protocol
Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (an amendment to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change) commit to reducing their emissions of six greenhouse gases, or engage in emissions trading if they maintain or increase emissions of these gases, which are linked to global warming.
