The Kyoto Protocol is an international agreement that determines the adoption of measures to reduce the emission of gases that cause the greenhouse effect and exacerbate global warming.
The Protocol was signed in 1997 by member countries of the United Nations (UN). The document, which was signed and ratified by 173 countries, entered into force in 2004. Fiji was the first country to sign the Protocol, back in 1997 and Turkey was the last to join, signing the document in 2008. Brazil signed the Protocol in 1998 and ratified it in 2002.
All countries that were part of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change were called to sign the Protocol. This Convention was developed during Rio 92, a conference held by the UN to discuss environmental problems and create strategies to combat them.
The Convention determined the urgent need to combat the emission of greenhouse gases, but it was only in the Kyoto Protocol that the necessary measures were described.
Kyoto Protocol Objectives
The fundamental objective that led to the creation of the document is the
reduction of carbon dioxide emission (CO2) and methane (CH4), the main responsible for the worsening of the greenhouse effect and the effects of global warming.The document also determines the need to find ways to enable economic and industrial development without causing environmental damage.
To achieve this goal, some obligations were defined. The main ones are:
- creation or improvement of policies to increase the energy efficiency of countries;
- developing more sustainability in agriculture to combat and mitigate the negative effects of climate change;
- determination of measures capable of reducing the emission of greenhouse gases;
- creation of effective means to treat waste;
- creation and application of forest protection policies, such as combating fires and deforestation;
- inclusion of transport and energy generation services in the measures adopted;
- evaluation and cancellation of economic policies that are contrary to the objectives set forth in the Protocol.
Reducing the emission of gases that cause the greenhouse effect is the main goal of the Kyoto Protocol.
Clean Development Mechanism
Countries that have signed the Protocol can use the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). The method works as a platform for certifying ideas and projects that are efficient in the task of reducing gas emissions.
Certificates can be sold to countries that have not yet met their target to assist them in meeting emissions reductions. are called Carbon Credits or Certified Emission Reduction.
Developed countries and developing countries
Countries that are part of the Protocol were divided into two groups: developed and developing.
The countries developed they are those that have already reached a certain level of industrialization and are therefore forced to reduce their gas emission rates. In this group are countries like Germany, Italy, Belgium, Japan, Portugal, Spain, Greece, Iceland, Luxembourg and France.
For most of these, the initial determination was to reduce emissions by 5.2% compared to 1990 levels. Japan was supposed to reduce emissions by 7% and the member countries of the European Union received the 8% reduction target. It was determined that in the period between 2008 and 2012 (first commitment period) emissions should have already been proven to be reduced.
In the second commitment period, between 2013 and 2020, emissions must be reduced to the 18% marker.
already the developing countries they did not receive gas emission reduction targets, but were invited to participate with the implementation of the other measures described in the document. The group includes, for example: Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Venezuela, Ecuador, Costa Rica and Bolivia.
The biggest emitters of carbon dioxide
At the time of signing the Protocol, the countries that made the highest carbon dioxide emissions were:
- United States (36.1%)
- Russia (17.4%)
- Japan (8.5%)
- Germany (7.4%)
- UK (4.3%)
The United States, despite being the champion in gas emissions, is not committed to the goals of the Protocol. The decision not to ratify the Protocol was motivated by economic reasons, at the time of the refusal it was alleged that the implementation of the reduction measures would cause damage to the national economy.
The Kyoto Conference
The Conference was held in Kyoto/Japan in December 1997. At the event, it was decided that an international document would be drawn up that would determine what measures should be taken to reduce the volume of emission of gases that aggravate the greenhouse effect.
It was also determined that the Protocol would only enter into force and begin to oblige the signatory countries to take measures when at least 55 countries had already signed the document.
What is the greenhouse effect?
The greenhouse effect is the planet warming, a natural phenomenon that, under the right conditions, is responsible for the preservation of life on Earth.
However, the excess release of harmful gases impairs the balance of the effect and makes the global temperature rise each year. These gases also reach the ozone layer and reduce protection against the arrival of ultraviolet rays, aggravating global warming.
To learn more about the subject, see also the meanings of greenhouse effect and global warming and understand better the relationship between them.