3/17/2019 The Kyoto Protocol 1997: Essay Example, 496 words GradesFixer

The Kyoto Protocol 1997

The Kyoto Protocol is an international environmental treaty that was adopted in
December 1997 in the Japanese city of Kyoto. The Kyoto Protocol aims on reducing
the emission of gases that contribute to global warming. Until today, 192 states have
both signed and rati ed the Kyoto Protocol. The United States of America have
signed the protocol in 1998, however until today they haven’t rati ed it.

The Kyoto Protocol committed those countries that signed and rati ed it, to develop
national programs to reduce their emissions of greenhouse gases, like carbon dioxide
and methane. The greenhouse emission reduction targets agreed in the Kyoto
Protocol were different for each country depending on its unique circumstances.
However, only industrialized nations were obligated to cut their greenhouse gas
emissions, while developing countries were not required to do so. Developing
countries, like China and India, were not obligated to reduce their greenhouse gas
emissions, because their per-capita emissions were lower than those of developed
nations. The Kyoto Protocol allowed less developed Member States to increase their
emissions in order to be able to grow economically, while richer, more
environmentally progressive Member States were obligated to reduce emissions on
average by 8% by 2012 from 1990 levels.

The Kyoto protocol provided various approaches for states to reach their emission
reduction targets. One approach was the use of natural processes, often also referred
to as “sinks,” which remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. Reforestation is
an example of such sinks, because trees are able to absorb carbon dioxide from the
air. The program “Clean Development Mechanism” is another approach established
by the Kyoto Protocol aimed on ghting climate change. This program encourages
industrialized nations to invest in infrastructure and technology in developing
countries, where there are often enormous possibilities to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions. An example of such an investment would be a clean-burning natural gas
power plant which substitutes a coal- red plant. Another approach was emissions
trading, which allowed participating countries to buy and sell emissions rights. This
placed an economic value on greenhouse gas emissions.

The European Union developed the “European Trading Scheme”, a mechanism

aimed on meeting the targets under the Kyoto Protocol. Countries that weren’t able
to meet their emissions targets would be obligated to make up the difference
between their targeted and actual emissions, plus a penalty amount. Under the ETS,
40% of the EU’s total GHGs came under a system in which allowances to emit would
be allocated and made tradable in a carbon market.

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3/17/2019 The Kyoto Protocol 1997: Essay Example, 496 words GradesFixer

The Kyoto Protocol was also often criticised. According to some critics, the ultimate
bene t to the environment isn’t signi cant, since China and the US, two of the main
GHG emitters were not included in the targets of the protocol (China because its
status as a developing country and the US because it hasn’t rati ed the protocol).
Other critics say that the emission reduction targets are too low to make a real
difference in global temperature. In 2020 the Kyoto Protocol will be replaced by the
Paris Agreement.

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