An Introduction to the Kyoto Protocol

During the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, an international treaty was signed - the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in order to consider ways of addressing global warming. In 1997, this treaty was amended to create the Kyoto Protocol, the key tenet of which is legally binding emissions reductions for Parties, designed to ultimately reduce emissions of the greenhouse gases thought to contribute to global warming and accelerated climate change. This was further refined in 2002 with the adoption of the Marrakech Accords, which served to operationalise many general directives and marked the beginning of real implementation. Essentially, the Kyoto Protocol seeks to control the following basket of six greenhouse gases in order to manage climate change effects. This basket uses the global warming potential (GWP) of carbon dioxide as a base unit, and measures relative warming effects of other gases. This data has been provided by the IPCC Second Assessment Report in 1995. Greenhouse gas Carbon Dioxide Methane Nitrous Oxide Hydrofluorocarbons Perflurorocarbons Sulphur hexafluoride Chemical symbol CO2 CH4 N20 HFC PFC SF6 Global Warming Potential* 1 21 (revised to 23) 310 140 - 11,700 6,500 - 9,200 23,900

* 100-year GWP from IPCC, 1995 Reductions in greenhouse gases may thus be obtained via reducing levels of PFC emissions from aluminium smelting, methane flaring at landfills, investment in renewables to displace carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel power generation, or incineration of waste industrial gases such as HFC-23, which is typically released into the atmosphere as a non-toxic chemical. Industrialized countries are required to compile a national inventory of these greenhouse gases in order to assess their progress towards reducing emissions, while projects which generate carbon credits for sale do so via the displacement or reduction of such gases.

Kyoto Declaration on the Global Environment In December 1997, an historic step was taken in Kyoto for the future of the Earth and humankind. Greenhouse gasses are the price modern civilization has paid for its current affluence, and at the COP3 conference on climate change, the Kyoto Protocol was adopted in order to curb emission of such gasses. As we assemble here in Kyoto from all over the world, we feel both the joy of our contribution and the weight of the responsibility we bear as the namesake of such a protocol. Those of us alive today seem to have forgotten the teachings of nature in our pursuit of material wealth and convenience. Our forebears coexisted with nature, and we must once again summon their wisdom and ingenuity to change the way each of us sees society and ourselves. Our planet has nurtured us like a mother, and it is our duty to pass it on responsibly to future generations. We ask the whole world to join us in using this conference to spur the movement to protect the global environment, and we are determined to begin action here in Kyoto, as we use both strength and heart in the task of caring for the environment. To do this, we must summon the courage to fundamentally reevaluate our lifestyle, build values for a new age, and undertake environmentally conscious efforts in each aspect of our society: production, distribution, consumption, and waste. It is our earnest hope that this sentiment will transcend region and country, and that the people of the world will find it in their heart to work together for this end. This document is a declaration of our effort and determination towards this hope. December 24, 1997