As of: April 2010

Kyoto Protocol

At the 3rd Climate Change Conference in Kyoto in 1997, the Contracting Parties adopted the so-called "Kyoto Protocol", in which the industrialised nations make a binding commitment to reduce their combined emissions of the six main greenhouse gases - including carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) - by 5.2 % in the period from 2008 to 2012 compared with 1990 levels. The emission reduction targets accepted by the individual countries vary - for example the United States committed to a reduction of -7%, Japan -6% and Russia +/- 0%. The EU undertook a joint

At the 3rd Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 3) in Kyoto in 1997, the Parties adopted the so-called Kyoto Protocol. In the Protocol the industrialised nations make a binding commitment to reduce their combined emissions of the six main greenhouse gases - including carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) - by at least 5% in the period 2008 to 2012 compared with 1990 levels. The emission reduction targets accepted by the individual countries vary (e.g. USA 7%, Japan 6%, Russia +/-0%). For its joint Kyoto commitment of 8% the EU, with its 15 member states at the time (EU 15), agreed internally on a redistribution of the shares every country has to deliver, e.g. 21% for Germany, 12.5% for the United Kingdom and +/-0% for France.

The Protocol represents a milestone in international climate policy by setting internationally binding emission reduction targets for industrialised countries for the first time and linking them to a clear time scale. However, the 1997 Climate Change Conference in Kyoto failed to clarify certain details relating to implementation of the Protocol. These issues were the subject of negotiations at the conferences in Buenos Aires in 1998, Bonn in 1999, The Hague in 2000, Bonn in 2001 and Marrakesh in 2001. At times it looked as though negotiations would fail because the disparity between the various countries' positions was too great. The main sticking point concerned the nature and extent of the various options for reducing greenhouse gases (see sinks and Kyoto mechanisms).

Negotiations suffered a further setback in early 2001, when the newly elected US administration announced its refusal to support the Kyoto Protocol, which had been negotiated by its predecessors. Despite this stance by the US a breakthrough was achieved at the Climate Change Conference in Bonn in July 2001 (COP 6 bis). The environment ministers of more than 180 nations were able to agree a political compromise on the most contentious issues. At the Climate Change Conference in Marrakesh held shortly afterwards in November 2001 (COP 7), delegates adopted a raft of decisions on the Bonn Agreements, concluding the negotiation process on the shaping of the Kyoto Protocol and setting out all regulations governing implementation of the Kyoto Protocol, including provisions on the so-called Kyoto mechanisms, sinks, compliance monitoring and aid for developing countries.

Sinks

Forests, soils and oceans are important natural carbon stores that sequester carbon from the atmosphere. The Kyoto Protocol allows forestry activities such as afforestation, reforestation and deforestation to be included in the CO2 balance sheet up to a certain level.

However, there are a number of problems associated with the offsetting of these so-called carbon sinks. Firstly, sinks are at risk of losing their function as carbon stores at any time - for example as a result of forest fires. Secondly, it is very difficult to gauge which forestry activities would have taken place anyway, and which are carried out additionally, i.e. exclusively for climate protection reasons. Identifying such activities and then calculating precisely how much carbon they sequester poses major problems. Thirdly, as a result of rising greenhouse gas emissions with a fertilising effect, vegetation growth in the northern hemisphere is progressing at a rapid rate, and the stock of sinks is therefore increasing of its own accord, without the need for targeted measures.

Generous offsetting of sinks against greenhouse gas reductions could allow large nations such as Russia and Canada to increase their emissions by a further significant amount, rather than reducing them. They could comply with their commitments under the Kyoto Protocol without undertaking additional emission reduction efforts in other areas.

Ratification of the Kyoto Protocol

The Kyoto Protocol has been in force since 16 February 2005. So that it could become internationally binding it first had to be ratified by the national parliaments of the countries involved. The Kyoto Protocol stipulates two conditions which must be met in order for it to enter into force:

• At least 55 Parties to the Framework Convention on Climate Change must ratify the Protocol.
• These countries must jointly account for at least 55% of CO2 emissions from industrialised countries in 1990.

The second condition was only met after Russia ratified the Kyoto Protocol in November 2004 after considerable hesitation. The US and Australia had already declared that they would not implement the Kyoto Protocol nationally. As the US was responsible for around 35% and Russia for around 16% of CO2 emissions from industrialised countries in 1990, the necessary 55% would not have been reached without one of these two countries.

To date, 189 countries have ratified the Kyoto Protocol, including all EU member states, Canada, New Zealand, Norway, Japan, as well as many key developing and newly industrialising countries such as Brazil, China, Mexico, India, South Africa and South Korea. After much hesitation Australia also ratified the Protocol in 2007. The US is therefore the only industrialised country that continues to reject the ratification of the Kyoto Protocol.

The Kyoto Protocol’s first commitment period from 2008 to 2012

Germany is set to clearly exceed its Kyoto target (21%): by the end of 2009 national greenhouse gas emissions had already been reduced by 28.7% compared with 1990. The European Union (EU 15) is also very likely to meet its Kyoto target (8%): up to 2007 the decrease in emissions of the EU 15 totalled 4.3% compared with 1990. The current 27 EU member states (EU 27) had even reduced their emissions by 9.3% by 2007 - despite continuously rising economic growth. This clearly shows that within the EU it has been possible to combine economic growth and emission reduction.

In comparison, total emissions of all industrialised countries with Kyoto commitments only decreased by 3.9% between 1990 and 2007. The global trend also looks very different: up to 2006 global greenhouse gas emissions rose by around 24% compared with 1990 levels. As well as some industrialised countries, in particular newly industrialising countries with rapidly growing economies such as China and India are responsible for this. Their emissions continue to rise considerably.

This highlights that if the major impacts of climate change are to be prevented the entire global community has to act with far more resolve.