THE Kyoto Protocol is an international treaty that was adopted on December 11, 1997, in Kyoto, Japan, and entered into force on February 16, 2005. It represents one of the earliest and most significant efforts to combat climate change on a global scale. The main goal of the Kyoto Protocol is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate global warming. Key aspects of the Kyoto Protocol include: a. Legally Binding Commitments: Unlike earlier climate change agreements, the Kyoto Protocol imposed legally binding commitments on participating countries to reduce their emissions of greenhouse gases. b. Emission Targets: The Protocol set specific targets for developed countries and the European Union to reduce their emissions of six greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, sulphur hexafluoride, HFCs, and PFCs) by an average of 5.2% below 1990 levels during the commitment period of 2008 to 2012. c. Flexibility Mechanisms:
The Kyoto Protocol introduced three market-based mechanisms to help countries meet their targets in a cost-effective way: International Emissions Trading, Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), and Joint Implementation (JI). These mechanisms allowed countries to earn or buy carbon credits by investing in emission reduction projects in other countries. d. Differentiated Responsibilities: The Protocol followed the principle of “common but differentiated responsibilities,” recognizing that developed countries are principally responsible for the current levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere due to their historical industrial activities. e. Compliance Mechanism: The Kyoto Protocol established a compliance mechanism to ensure that countries meet their obligations, including a monitoring and reporting system, and consequences for non-compliance. In nutshell, the Kyoto Protocol was a landmark in international environmental diplomacy and laid the groundwork for subsequent climate change agreements.
Historical background: The Kyoto Protocol is an international treaty that extends the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) that commits state parties to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, based on the scientific consensus that (part one) global warming is occurring and (part two) it is extremely likely that human-made CO2 emissions have predominantly caused it. The protocol was adopted in Kyoto, Japan, on 11 December 1997 and entered into force on 16 February 2005: a. Background and Adoption: It was a landmark agreement because it was the first time countries agreed to legally binding limits on their greenhouse gas emissions. b. Entry into Force: For the protocol to enter into force, it required ratification by at least 55 parties to the UNFCCC, which, in total, accounted for at least 55% of the total global greenhouse gas emissions for 1990. This threshold was met on 16 February 2005, primarily after Russia ratified the protocol in November 2004. c. Commitments: The protocol set binding emission reduction targets for 37 industrialized countries and the European community. These targets amounted to an average of five percent against 1990 levels over the five-year period 2008-2012.Further, the Doha Amendment in 2012, the Kyoto Protocol was adopted, which set new commitments for the second commitment period from 2013 to 2020 for participating countries. However, the participation in this second period was lower, with major emitters like Japan, Russia, and Canada opting out.
Objectives and achievements: The Kyoto Protocol, conceived with specific objectives, made significant strides in combating global climate change. Firstly, it aimed to promote sustainable development through mechanisms like the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), which encouraged countries to pursue renewable energy and greenhouse gas reduction projects. Secondly, it fostered global cooperation by uniting both developed and developing nations in addressing climate change, recognizing it as a shared global challenge.
Additionally, the Protocol introduced flexibility mechanisms such as Emissions Trading, CDM, and Joint Implementation (JI), allowing countries to meet emission targets in cost-effective ways. Noteworthy achievements include widespread global participation, with numerous countries ratifying the agreement, demonstrating a collective commitment to combating climate change. Moreover, during the protocol’s initial commitment period (2008-2012), many nations exceeded their emission reduction targets, collectively reducing emissions by over 1.2 billion tons. The success of market mechanisms, particularly the CDM, resulted in the registration of thousands of projects in developing countries, contributing to both sustainable development and emission reductions.
Furthermore, the Kyoto Protocol played a pivotal role in raising awareness about climate change, spurring increased investments in renewable energy and low-carbon technologies from both public and private sectors. Its influence extended beyond its initial timeframe, laying the groundwork for subsequent climate agreements, notably the Paris Agreement, by establishing crucial principles and mechanisms for international climate diplomacy. Despite its achievements, the Kyoto Protocol faced criticism and challenges, including the withdrawal of the United States and the absence of binding commitments for developing countries. Nonetheless, it remains a landmark agreement in global efforts to tackle climate change, serving as a catalyst for more comprehensive and inclusive endeavours in the future.
— The writer is Professor and Head, Department of Political Science, B N Mandal University, Madhepura, Bihar, India.
Email: rajkumarsinghpg@gmail.com
views expressed are writer’s own.
