What is the Kyoto Protocol ?

The Kyoto Protocol was a previous international agreement that aimed to reduce the amount of carbon emissions and greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere. It was created in order to encourage countries around the world that neglected climate change to reduce their emissions.

Formed in Kyoto, Japan, in December 1997 and having entered into force in February 2005, the Kyoto Protocol was the first legally binding global agreement under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to require industrialized countries to reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

The treaty recognized that developed nations were historically responsible for the vast majority of emissions worldwide, and therefore, should have taken the greatest responsibility addressing and rectifying the current impacts of climate change. As a result, the Kyoto Protocol led to 37 industrialized countries legally binding emission reduction targets for 37 industrialized countries and the EU to work towards reducing emissions by an average of 5% below 1990 levels.

Key features of the Kyoto Protocol included:

• Legally binding targets for developed nations like the United States and the EU
• Monitoring and compliance system which required countries to report emissions and face penalties in the event of non-compliance.
• Flexible market mechanisms
• Emissions Trading which allowed countries to trade unused emission allowances.
• Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) which is where developed nations could invest in emission-reduction projects in developing countries and earn carbon credits in return.
• Joint Implementation (JI) which was similar to CDM, but only existed between developed countries.

Challenges and criticisms:

• While the United States signed the Kyoto Protocol, it never ratified it.
• Some countries failed to meet their target.
• Despite global cooperation from several developed nations, global emissions continued to rise – demonstrating the Kyoto Protocol’s limitations. 

The Doha Amendment, which was developed in 2012, established a second commitment period from 2013 to 2020, but participation declined as broader, more inclusive framework such as the Paris Agreement (2015), was brought into play – as these frameworks allowed for emission reductions from both developed and developing nations.

FAQs

Why was the Kyoto Protocol important?

The Kyoto Protocol was important seeing as it was the first treaty to make emission reductions a legal obligation for developed countries, especially those most responsible for global warming. 

How is it different from the Paris Agreement?

The Kyoto Protocol was different from the Paris Agreement as it set binding targets only for developed countries, whereas the Paris Agreement incorporates all nations with self-determined targets (NDCs).

Did the Kyoto Protocol work?

The Kyoto Protocol worked somewhat, as some countries met or exceeded targets, but as a whole – global emissions still increased due to several pivotal countries failing to commit to the Kyoto Protocol. 

Is the Kyoto Protocol still in effect?

No, the Kyoto Protocol has essentially been replaced by the Paris Agreement, though the Doha Amendment made a previous attempt to extend its framework through 2020.