Key Facts
Under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), a structure based upon setting quantitative national emission limits (with several new features as compared to the broad indicative aims in the Convention itself) was negotiated.
- The resulting Kyoto Protocol, adopted in December 1997, agreed emission limits for industrialised countries for a 'first commitment period' of 2008-12 on average from a base year of 1990.
- Allows for use of 'Flexible Mechanisms' (trading, Joint Implementation and Clean Development Mechanism credits)
- Russia ratified the treaty on 5 November 2004, clearing the way for the treaty to become legally-binding on 16 February 2005 – meeting the criteria that more than 55 Parties to the Convention had ratified the Protocol, including countries responsible for at least 55% of industrialised countries CO2 emissions in 1990 (at the start of 2006 in total 162 countries had ratified).
- The US and Australia have signed the Kyoto Protocol however they have not ratified the treaty and remain outside the legal requirements of the Protocol.
GHG reduction target (1990* - 2008/12) under the Kyoto Protocol
| Switzerland, Central and East European states, the European Union |
-8% |
| United States** |
-7% |
| Japan, Canada, Hungary, Japan |
-6% |
| Russian Federation and Ukraine |
+0% |
| Norway |
+1% |
| Australia** |
+8% |
| Iceland |
+10% |
* The base year for the fluorinated greenhouse gases can be chosen as either 1990 or 1995. The base year for all other greenhouse gases is 1990. Some economies in transition have a baseline other than 1990.
** Australia and the US have indicated their intention not to ratify the Kyoto Protocol
To reduce costs and ease compliance, the Protocol:
- Defines the limits in terms of the full range of six greenhouse gases, not just CO2 (CO2 accounts for about 80% of the total greenhouse gas emissions from industrialised countries). The other gases include methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs) and sulphur hexafluoride (SF6)
- Offsets the emission limits against forest absorption and other 'carbon sinks' that absorb carbon back from the atmosphere
- Allows emission-reducing projects in other countries through the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) (in developing countries) or Joint Implementation (in developed countries) to generate 'emission credits' that can be used towards compliance; and
- Allows countries that take on emission limits to trade these internationally.
The idea is to ease compliance by increasing the range of options and reducing the cost; this enables countries to seek out the reductions wherever it might be cheapest.
The rules for entry into force of the Kyoto Protocol require 55 Parties to the Convention to ratify the Protocol, including countries responsible for at least 55% of industrialised countries CO2 emissions in 1990.
The latest on the Kyoto Protocol can be found at the UNFCCC website.
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