The Kyoto Protocol is a protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC or FCCC), aimed at combating

global warming. The UNFCCC is an international environmental treaty with the goal of achieving "stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system. What were the major issues discussed during this summit? GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS Industrialized nations are under pressure to cut back even more on emissions of carbon dioxide and other global-warming gases, while major developing countries such as China and India are being pressed to rein in their emissions growth. Environmentalists and poorer nations say richer countries should reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent or more by 2020, compared with 1990 levels, to avoid serious climate damage. The European Union has pledged 20 percent, and possibly 30 percent. The US has offered only a three percent to four percent cut. CLIMATE AID FOR POORER NATIONS Richer nations have discussed a "prompt-start" package of 10 billion US dollars a year for three years to help developing nations adjust to the impact of global warming and switch to clean energy. Developing nations want to see commitments by wealthy nations for years more of long-term climate aid financing. Expert studies say hundreds of billions of dollars will be needed each year, and the developing nations are trying to establish stable revenue sources for the climate aid, such as a global aviation tax. FOREST ISSUES A program called REDD, for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation, would pay poor countries to protect their forests. But the current draft includes no money for the program and no benchmarks to reduce deforestation, a major cause of greenhouse gas emissions. There are also disputes over how the money would be generated and whether this would be done on national or subnational level. MONITORING OF PLEDGES Developed nations already covered by the 1997 Kyoto Protocol would have their emission cuts monitored and would face possible sanctions if they don't live up to their obligations. The US, which rejected Kyoto, would have its reductions monitored if they were incorporated in a legally binding international agreement. The developed nations want some kind of international verification of emissions actions by developing nations, though these countries would not face penalties. China, India and others are resisting what they consider potential intrusions on their sovereignty.

LEGAL FRAMEWORK For Europe, Japan and other developed nations, new, deeper emissions cuts will take the form of an extension of quotas under the Kyoto Protocol. The US, which rejected Kyoto and wants to remain outside it, is likely to be included in a separate package that also deals with major developing countries. The level of legal obligation on each "track" may vary, particularly since the big developing countries China and India do not want to be bound by any international treaty to carry out their pledges of emission cuts. They prefer voluntary goals.

List of countries by 2006 emissions

Annual CO2 emissions
(in thousands of metric tons)

Rank

Country

Percentage of Per Capita global total (metric ton)

Reduction needed to reach world per capita average

World 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 China United States Russia India Japan Germany United Kingdom Canada South Korea Italy Iran 12 13 14 15 16 17 Mexico South Africa France Saudi Arabia Australia Brazil 18 19 Spain Indonesia 20 Ukraine

28,431,741 6,103,493 5,752,289 1,564,669 1,510,351 1,293,409 805,090 568,520 544,680 475,248 474,148 466,976 436,150 414,649 383,148 381,564 372,013 352,524 352,235 333,483

100.0 %

4.18

0%

21.5 % 20.2 % 5.5 % 5.3 % 4.6 % 2.8 % 2.0 % 1.9 % 1.7 % 1.7 % 1.6 %

4.57 18.67 11.03 1.29 10.14 9.82 9.26 16.08 9.59 7.90 7.03

9% 78 % 62 % -224 % 59 % 57 % 55 % 74 % 56 % 47 % 41 %

1.6 % 1.5 % 1.4 % 1.3 % 1.3 % 1.2 %

3.92 8.45 5.98 13.30 18.74 1.83

-7 % 51 % 30 % 69 % 78 % -128 %

1.2 % 1.2 %

8.69 1.39

52 % -201 %

1.1 % 319,158

6.98

40 %