Understanding what the Kyoto Protocol entails
The Kyoto Protocol is an international agreement which main purpose is to lower the greenhouse gas emissions of the industrialized world by 2012. The end result of the Kyoto Protocol should be a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions to below the levels measured in 1990. The Kyoto Protocol also addresses the developing world, which is busy industrializing at a fierce pace and subsequently producing a large volume of greenhouse gases.
History and Origin of the Kyoto Protocol
The roots of the Kyoto Protocol can be traced back to 1979, when the first World Climate Conference was held. The purpose of this Conference was to address the issue of human impact on climate change. The subsequent result of the World Climate Conference was a commitment to more study and the development of an ultimate plan to address the issue. The next step was the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), an international treaty adopted in 1992. The UNFCCC was established after 10 years of discussion and research on the topic of climate change.
Under the terms set out by the UNFCCC, participating nations agreed to gather and share information about greenhouse gas emissions. Participating nations were also supposed to reduce their emissions by 2000, while at the same time participating in a global action plan to prevent greenhouse gas emissions from rising. Even though the agreement was not legally binding, a lot of nations regarded it as a necessary step, and thus made a commitment to take action. By 1995, concerns had arisen that the plan was not working; the result was a conference to discuss the matter, held in Kyoto, Japan, in 1997.
The result of this conference was the Kyoto Protocol, which amended the UNFCCC with legally binding pledges to reduce emissions of various greenhouse gases. According to the terms of the agreement that is the Kyoto Protocol, participating nations had to reduce their emissions between 2008 and 2012 through a variety of means. The Kyoto Protocol encourages green development and emissions trading, allowing nations which meet their quotas to sell credits to nations who are encountering difficulties.
Pros and Cons of the Kyoto Protocol
Even though most nations agree that climate change is a serious issue which needs attention, not everyone is willing to take part in the Kyoto Protocol, most notably the United States of America. Opponents of the Kyoto Protocol take issue with certain terms in the agreement, arguing that it restricts economic development and that it may be too strict. In stark contrast, supporters of the Kyoto Protocol believe that the issue of global warming is so important that any measures, no matter how strict, will be worth it in the long run.
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