Explain The Kyoto protocol.
Share
Lost your password? Please enter your email address. You will receive a link and will create a new password via email.
Please briefly explain why you feel this question should be reported.
Please briefly explain why you feel this answer should be reported.
Please briefly explain why you feel this user should be reported.
The Kyoto Protocol is an international treaty aimed at addressing global climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Adopted in 1997 in Kyoto, Japan, the protocol entered into force in 2005 and has been ratified by most countries around the world, except for the United States, which withdrew from the agreement in 2001.
Key features of the Kyoto Protocol include:
Greenhouse Gas Reduction Targets: The protocol established legally binding emission reduction targets for developed countries, also known as Annex I countries, and economies in transition. These targets were set based on specified percentage reductions from 1990 levels of greenhouse gas emissions, with the aim of collectively reducing emissions by an average of 5.2% below 1990 levels during the commitment period from 2008 to 2012.
Flexible Mechanisms: To help countries meet their emission reduction targets cost-effectively, the Kyoto Protocol introduced three flexible mechanisms: Emissions Trading, Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), and Joint Implementation (JI). These mechanisms allow countries to trade emissions credits, invest in emission reduction projects in developing countries, and undertake emission reduction projects in other Annex I countries.
Compliance Mechanism: The protocol established a compliance system to monitor and ensure that countries fulfill their emission reduction commitments. Non-compliance could result in penalties or other consequences as determined by the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP).
Adaptation and Financial Assistance: The Kyoto Protocol recognized the need for adaptation to the impacts of climate change and provided for financial assistance to developing countries to help them adapt to climate change and transition to low-carbon development pathways.
Despite its significance as the first international treaty to set binding emission reduction targets, the Kyoto Protocol faced criticism for its limited scope, as it only applied to developed countries and did not include major emitters like China and India. Additionally, the protocol's effectiveness was hampered by the withdrawal of the United States and the limited ambition of emission reduction targets set by some countries. Nonetheless, the Kyoto Protocol laid the groundwork for subsequent international climate agreements, including the Paris Agreement, which aims to achieve a more comprehensive and ambitious global response to climate change.