| Background:
~1992, Rio de Janeiro-
180 countries signed the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change (UNFCCC) at the Earth Summit as a call to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions to prevent harmful climate change. Although it went “into
effect” in March 1994, very little was actually changed in terms
of emissions.
~December 11, 1997-
the UNFCCC met in Kyoto, Japan in an effort to force the international
community to go into action concerning greenhouse gas reductions.
Details of the
Kyoto Protocol:
Under the Kyoto Protocol,
industrialized nations (“Annex-I” nations) must to cut their
greenhouse gas emissions to a percentage below the levels they were
emitting in 1990 (For information on the countries with the most clout
in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, see The
Major Players section). The projected year for getting this accomplished
is somewhere between 2008-2012.
The Kyoto Protocol applies
to industrialized nations only, and excludes nations such as China and
India, whose per-capita greenhouse gas emissions are a lot lower than
those in developed nations. This also takes into considerations that
third-world countries would be unable to afford new technologies that
woul grant cleaner fuel emissions at this time. It is expected, however,
that once such technologies become more widely available and affordable,
these countries would be able to better participate in climate change
agreements such as the Kyoto Protocol (for an analysis of this decision,
see the Will It Work section).
In order for the Kyoto Protocol
itself to come into effect, Annex-I countries must ratify it that in
total have produced at least 55% of the world's 1990 carbon dioxide
emissions. This constitutes a minimum of 55 countries and is known as
the 55/55 target. click here for a list
of emissions rates per Annex-I country (source: www.unfccc.int)
Other Aspects of
the Protocol
~Financial Obligations:
The Protocol states that
developed countries have to pay for and support the development of
climate-related technologies and projects for the benefit of poorer
nations. This was originally agreed in the UNFCCC in 1992.
~"The Kyoto Mechanisms"
Because some Annex-I nations
have emissions limits provided by the protocol that are higher than
what they are currently emitting, they have a sort of emissions "credit".
The Kyoto Protocol, therefore, makes available three mechanisms that
allow these countries to buy, generate, or trade emissions credits.
These credits can count towards the country's reduction target.
The Mechanisms are as follows:
-International Emissions
Trading - This allows countries who have not yet met their reduction
targets to buy credits from other countries who have exceeded their
reduction targets
- Joint Implementation
- Countries can gain credits by investing in emissions reduction
projects within other industrialized countries
-Clean
Development - Countries gain credits by investing in clean energy
and other emission reduction projects in developing, "non-Annex-I"
countries.
The thought behind these
Mechanisms is that countries who meet their targets are rewarded,
which is an incentive for others to meet their targets, as well. Also,
the protocol is meant to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions,
so it does not matter where the reductions in emissions are achieved,
simply that they are achieved in general.
~Other Sources of Credit:
Countries also receive
credits by maintaining carbon dioxide sinks such
as old-growth forests, which help remove extra CO2 from the atmosphere.
Initiatives for the development of cleaner technologies also gains
credits.
Temporary Political
Setback:
In March, 2001 the United
States, which produces the most carbon dioxide emissions of all the
Annex-I countries ar 36.1%, refused to ratify the protocol. This put
particular strain on getting other Major Players such as Russia to ratify
the protocol in order to reach the 55% target and get it into effect
(Russia recently ratified the protocol in 2004). For more informations
and the current statud of the Kyoto Protocol, see The
Major Players section of this website.
For the latest
updates in ratification status for all the countries involved in the Protocol,
download the Kyoto Protocol Status of Ratification
Sheet (.PDF), which was modified on April 29, 2005. Taken from www.UNFCCC.inf. |
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