However, it is necessary that the reduction of gases is indeed done on a global scale, because the greenhouse gases mix and cannot be isolated solely over the territory of the country-emitter. Therefore the global community needs to come up with a strategy to involve as many nations as possible with the issue of emission cuts. A challenge to that end is that in 2001 the world’s biggest greenhouse gas emitter, the United States, responsible for 25% of the world’s greenhouse-gas emissions dropped out of the Kyoto agreement. The reason was that the drastic curb of 7% on its emissions, as targeted by the Kyoto Protocol, would severely harm the country’s economy. By withdrawing its support on mandatory emission restrictions, one of today’s most influential countries is not acting as a good example for the rest of the world.

Another problem lies in the fact that under Kyoto, developing nations, such as China and India, are not obliged to cut their emissions. The reason why under the protocol developing economies are not required to meet definite emission-reduction targets is not to hinder the countries’ economic development and progress. However, who determines when countries in transition, such as these two, have completed their development process? Therefore, it is important to determine when exactly a country in economic transition should start to be considered a developed country in terms of contributing to the world’s efforts to slow down global warming.