Before Kyoto:

Prior attempts made to tackle climate change by Governments include agreement made at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. At that meeting, leaders created the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), a convention that set a non-binding goal of stabilizing greenhouse gas emissions at 1990 levels by 2000. The UNFCCC came into effect in 1994.

By 1995, the parties of the UFCCC (Annex I and Annex II) commenced negotiations on a more binding agreement based on the convention. The Kyoto protocol was adopted in 1997 and it became law on February 16, 2005. It is the first legally binding global agreement to cut greenhouse gases.

Kyoto Protocol Basics: 

Kyoto protocol is an agreement reached by Government delegates at the 1997 United Nations (U.N.) conference in Kyoto, Japan. Delegates present at the conference agreed to a pact to collectively reduce the amount of greenhouse gases emitted by developed countries by 5.2 percent of 1990 levels during 2008-2012.

Greenhouse gases are gases that trap heat in the Earth’s atmosphere. The main greenhouse gases defined within the context of Kyoto Protocol include: carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), and industrial gases such as hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs) and sulphur hexafluoride (SF6). CO2 is freely available in the atmosphere. However, human emissions through the burning fossil fuels for energy generation is believed to add to the natural CO2. Much of the CH4 released to the atmosphere comes from agricultural practices and waste dumps, while NO2 emissions result mostly from the use of fertilizer. The industrial gases (HFCs, PFCs & SF6) are used in various appliances, such as refrigerants, heat conductors and insulators. For more information click on greenhouse gases and/or Characteristics of greenhouse gases

The goal of the Kyoto Protocol is to lower the overall emissions of these gases, calculated as an average, over the five-year period of 2008-12 (which is the first commitment period). Different developed countries agreed to different targets: The European union, Switzerland and others signed up for 8% reductions below 1990 emission levels; US agreed to 7%, Japan agreed to 6%, and Russia, 0%. Some countries were permitted to have increases during the five year period; these include 8% increase for Australia and 10% for Iceland.

The parties agreed to a "common but differentiated responsibilities." with the understanding that the historical and current emissions of the greenhouse gases are mainly from the industrial revolution that started in the developed countries from the 18th century and is still continuing. The developed world are tasked to do more at correcting the climate change anomaly.

The Kyoto protocol was subject to two conditions before it can be legally biding or become a law:

• It must have the backing from at least 55 countries; and
• It must have support from nations representing at least 55 percent of developed countries’ carbon dioxide emissions.

The two conditions were met following ratifications by Russia in November 2004 when Russia joined the Accord and effectively became law on February 16, 2005. The Protocol now has backing from 169 (as of December, 2006) and nations representing 61.6 percent of CO2 emissions.

The United States of America pulled out, saying Kyoto is too expensive and wrongly omits developing nations.

Meeting Kyoto Targets - UNFCCC Initiatives:

The protocol provides three mechanisms designed to assist Annex I parties reach their Kyoto targets without necessarily reducing emissions at home. Annex I countries can meet their emission targets at lower costs by by achieving emission reductions at lower cost in other countries.

These mechanisms are:

• International Emissions Trading: permits countries to transfer parts of their allowed emissions (assigned amount units, or AAUs). One country buys the right to emit from a country that has already reduced its emissions sufficiently and has "spare" emissions reductions;
• Joint implementation (JI): allows countries to claim credit for emission reductions that arise from investment in other industrialized countries. This results in a transfer of emissions reduction units (ERUs) between countries; and
• Clean Development Mechanism (CDM): allows emission reduction projects that assist developing countries in achieving sustainable development and that generate certified emission reductions (CERs) for use by the investing countries or companies. Developed countries fund clean (alternative energy) technologies, such as wind and solar power, in the developing nations and thereby earn credits to offset their Kyoto targets. Countries can also claim credits for planting trees (which serves as carbon sinks) in the developing world.

Performances under Kyoto and Revisions:

The second commitment period for the Kyoto agreement begins in 2013. Under a 2001 deal made by environment ministers from several nations who have ratified the Kyoto Protocol, if countries emit more gases than allowed under their targets at the end of 2012, they will be required to make the cuts, and 30 percent more, in the second commitment period, which start in 2013. The ministers rejected the idea of a financial penalty.

Several countries are believed to be making good progress towards meeting the Kyoto targets while several others are lagging behind. Updates of advances and failures made by countries in the pact will be published on this website from time to time.

For the full text of the Kyoto Protocol click any of these links:

• Kyoto Protocol (HTML version)
• Kyoto Protocol (PDF version)

Other Sources of Information:

• Kyoto Protocol - United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
• Kyoto Protocol - Wikipedia
• Kyoto Protocol - Towards Climate Stability
• Causes of Climate change - Edugreen
• Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
• United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
• World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
• United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP).