Milestones
| 1988 | IPCC established |
| 1990 | PCC and second WCC call for global treaty on climate change |
| 1990 | September: United Nations General Assembly negotiations on a framework convention |
| 1991 | First meeting of the INC |
| 1992 | May: INC adopts UNFCCC text |
| June: Convention opened for signature at Earth Summit | |
| 1994 | March: Convention enters into force |
| 1995 | March and April: COP 1 (Berlin, Germany); Berlin Mandate |
| 1997 | December: COP 3 (Kyoto, Japan) Kyoto Protocol adopted |
| 1998 | November: COP 4 (Buenos Aires, Argentina) Buenos Aires Plan of Action |
| 2000 | November: COP 6 (The Hague, Netherlands); talks based on the plan break down |
| 2001 | April: IPCC Third Assessment Report |
| July: COP6 resumes (Bonn Germany); Bonn Agreements | |
| October and November: COP 7 (Marrakesh, Morocco); Marrakesh Accords | |
| 2002 | August and September: progress since 1992 reviewed at World Summit on Sustainable Development |
| October and November: COP 8 (New Delhi, India) Delhi Declarations. | |
| 2003 | December: COP 9 (Milan, Italy) |
| 2004 | December: COP 10 (Buenos Aires, Argentina) |
| 2005 | 16th February: Kyoto Protocol come into existence |
| 2006 | Kyoto Protocol Compliance Committee Established Post 2012 emission reduction target negotiations agenda agreed |
| 2007 | 4th-12th December: The United Nations Climate Change Conference, Bali, Indonesia |
| 2008 | 1st-12th December: COP 13, Poznan |