 The Kyoto Protocol is a protocol to the United Nations

Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), aimed

at fighting global warming
 The UNFCCC is an international environmental treaty with the
goal of achieving the "stabilization of greenhouse gas
concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that
would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with
the climate system.“
 The Protocol was initially adopted on 11 December 1997
in Kyoto, Japan, and entered into force on 16 February 2005
 As of September 2011, 191 states have signed and
ratified the protocol
Natural
 Carbon dioxide (CO2)
 Methane (CH4)
 Nitrous oxide (N2O)

Manmade
 Hydro fluorocarbons (HFCs)
 Per fluorocarbons (PFCs)
 Sulphur hexafluoride (SF6)
Participation in Kyoto Protocol as of 2011

Brown = Countries that have signed and ratified the treaty

(Annex I & II countries in dark brown)
Blue = No intention to ratify at this stage.
Dark blue = Canada, which withdrew from the Protocol in December 2011.
Grey = no position taken or position unknown
 Under the Protocol, 37 countries ("Annex I countries")
commit themselves to a reduction of four greenhouse gases
(GHG) (carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, sulphur
hexafluoride) and two groups of gases (hydro
fluorocarbons and per fluorocarbons) produced by them, and
all member countries give general commitments
 At negotiations, Annex I countries (including the US)
collectively agreed to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions
by 5.2% on average for the period 2008-2012.
 Since the US has not ratified the treaty, the collective
emissions reduction of Annex I Kyoto countries falls from
5.2 % to 4.2% below base year
 Each Annex I Party has a binding commitment to limit or reduce GHG
emissions and innovative mechanisms have been established for Parties to
facilitate compliance with this commitment.
Other commitments include:
• Each Annex I Party must undertake domestic policies and measures to reduce
GHG emissions and to enhance removals by sinks;
• In implementing these policies and measures, each Annex I Party must strive to
minimize any adverse impact of these policies and measures on other Parties,
particularly developing country Parties;
• Annex I Parties must provide additional financial resources to advance the
implementation of commitments by developing countries;
• Both Annex I and non-Annex I Parties must cooperate in the areas of:
(a) The development, application and diffusion of climate friendly technologies;
(b) Research on and systematic observation of the climate system;
(c) Education, training, and public awareness of climate change;
(d) The improvement of methodologies and data for GHG inventories
 UNFCCC Kyoto
protocol

Allowance
Project Based
Based

International Clean Development

Emission Trading Joint Implementation
Mechanism
(Between (Between developed
(Developing &
developed countries)
developed countries)
countries)

Assigned Carbon Emission

Amount Reduction Units Reduction Units
Units (AAU) (CRU) (ERU)
UNFCCC:- United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
International Emissions Trading (IET)
 Under this mechanism, an Annex I Party may transfer Kyoto units to or
acquire units from another Annex I Party.
 Emissions trading does not affect the total assigned amount of Annex I
Parties collectively; rather, it re-distributes the assigned amount among
them.
 A Party may acquire an unlimited number of units.
 The number of units that a Party may transfer to other Parties
is limited by the Party’s commitment period reserve (CPR).
 The CPR is the minimum level of units that a Party must hold in its
national registry at all times. The requirement for each Party to maintain
a CPR prevents a Party from over-transferring units, and thus impair its
ability to meet its commitments
Joint implementation (JI)
 It is a project-based mechanism by which one Annex I Party can invest in a
project that reduces emissions or enhances sequestration in another Annex
I Party, and receive credit for the emission reductions or removals achieved
through that project.
 The unit associated with JI is called an emission reduction unit (ERU).
 The total projected emission savings from JI by 2012 are about one tenth
that of the CDM.
 Russia accounts for about two-thirds of these savings, with the remainder
divided up roughly equally between the Ukraine and the EU's New Member
States.
Clean Development Mechanism
 CDM credits may be generated from emission reduction projects
or from projects in non-Annex I Parties.
 Unlike emissions trading and JI, projects under the CDM create
new Kyoto units and their acquisition by Annex I Parties increases
both the total assigned amount available for those Annex I Parties
collectively and their allowable level of emissions.
 CDM projects result in three types of Kyoto units.
 Certified emission reductions (CERs) are issued for projects that
reduce emissions
 Temporary CERs (TCERs)
 Long-term CERs (TCERs) both of which may be issued for projects
that enhance removals through reforestation projects.
 National emission targets exclude international aviation
and shipping
 Land use and forestry (‘sink’ activities) can be used in
meeting targets
 Common but differentiated responsibility
 Largest share of emissions originated in developed
countries
 Relatively low emissions in developing countries
 Share of emissions in developing countries will grow
to meet their social and development needs
 Per capita emissions
 Financial Commitments:
 Developed countries have to pay billions of dollars
and supply technology to other countries for
climate related studies. E.g. The Adaptation Fund
 Enforcement:
 If a country is not in compliance with its emissions
limitation, it is required to make up the difference
during the 2nd commitment period plus an
additional 30%
 It will also be suspended from making transfers
under an emissions trading program
Emissions as a percentage of the global total,
per capita emissions in tons of GHG per capita
 China 30%
 United States 16%
 European Union 11%
 Indonesia 6%
 India 7%
 Japan 6%
 Industrialized countries were committed to ‘take
the lead’ in reducing emissions
 They were required to stabilize their emissions at
1990 levels by 2000
 Failure to do so made Kyoto move to binding
commitments
 Developing countries were not subject to emission
reduction commitments in the first Kyoto
commitment period
 Clean Development Mechanism was designed to
limit emissions in developing countries
 No details on specific policies and measures to meet
reduction targets
 No commitments from developing nations
 No details on implementing permits system
including penalties
 No details on funding mechanisms for developing
nations
 ‘bunkers fuels’ issue unresolved (i.e. The fuel used in
shipping and air travels)
 The United States has not ratified the Kyoto Protocol, but it
hasn't withdrawn from it, either
 The main objection of the US to ratification is regarding the
nature of participation of developing countries. The US will
not ratify the Protocol unless developing countries are also
required to keep greenhouse gas levels at targeted
minimums.
 The US feels that the Kyoto Protocol is unfair in that
countries like itself will be harmed economically because
they will have to make the most changes in order to adhere
to targeted levels of CO2 levels set forth in the Kyoto
Protocol.
 India will not sign any legally binding global agreement
for emission reduction as the country needs to eradicate
poverty through economic growth
 India argues that since the CO2 in the atmosphere is
from developed countries it is their responsibility to cut
down the emissions. However India will make all efforts
to cut down on green house gas emissions but that
would be voluntary
 India being a developing country is still not stable
enough to take up global warming as the emission cuts
will slow down its development and cripple it
economically