International Agreements: The Kyoto Protocol

• The Kyoto Protocol is an international agreement linked to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. A key feature of the Kyoto Protocol is that it sets binding targets for 37 industrialized countries and the European community forreducing Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions

• These amount to an average of 5 %t against 1990 levels over the five-year period 2008-2012.

• Countries have a certain degree of flexibility in how they make and measure their emissions reductions

• They pursue emissions cuts in a wide range of economic  sectors

• The Protocol advances the implementation of existing commitments by all countries

• The EU and its Member States ratified the Kyoto Protocol in late May 2002

•To date 175 countries in total have ratified the Kyoto protocol, the latest being Australia in 2007

• In 2008, the USA remains the last developed country that refuses to ratify the protocol

• The Protocol advances the implementation of existing commitments by all countries

• The EU and its Member States ratified the Kyoto Protocol in late May 2002

•To date 175 countries in total have ratified the Kyoto protocol, the latest being Australia in 2007

• In 2008, the USA remains the last developed country that refuses to ratify the protocol

Beyond Kyoto
• The Kyoto protocol is now in its active phase (2008 to 2012) in which countries who have ratified the protocol are actively undertaking measures to significantly reduce their carbon emissions

• However, governments must start planning beyond Kyoto and put into place long term plans which will progressively allow a transition from a Carbon based economy to a sustainable one

• One must understand that the Kyoto targets are mostly symbolic in having nations all over the world come together for the cause of fighting climate change. Climate change is a global matter which requires global collaboration. However, much stronger measures than those outlined by the Kyoto protocol are required to be effective. This is why nations must now start to seriously think at longer perspective and stronger measures.

• Climate talks took place in Poznan in December 2008 to discuss such post-Kyoto issues

Source of Information : Climate Change: A Silent Threat by Sylvain Richer de Forges

International Agreements: The Kyoto Protocol