Kyoto Protocol: The Kyoto Protocol

Kyoto Protocol, “the first — and so far, only — pact to commit rich countries to reducing emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases” (Schiermeier, 2012)

 Quirin Schiermeier, Nature Publications (Volume 491), The Kyoto Protocol: Hot Air, (November 2012)

conceptualized in Kyoto, Japan, in December 1997. The Protocol was designed to address global warming (Appendix 1) and the increasing rate of GHG emissions by economically developed countries (Appendix 2).

The Protocol only came into full effect and force on 16th February 2005 (UNFCC, 2015)

 UNFCCC: United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Kyoto Protocol, (Accessed 2015)

HYPERLINK "http://unfccc.int/kyoto_protocol/items/2830.php" http://unfccc.int/kyoto_protocol/items/2830.php

annexed developed nations) led to a shift in manufacturing. As, “migration of heavy industry from developed nations to developing countries, which make products that then get shipped back to wealthy nations” (Schiermeier, 2012) led to an increase of unemployment and a leakage of economic funding in the developed countries. Moreover, nuclear plants and heavy emitting industries were already established and in place, running at effective capacity, by reducing emissions, a lot of economic loss would have been probable hindering economic growth.

Evaluation of Success

In spite of several efforts, the Kyoto Protocol has not been entirely successful. Although there has been a “slowdown in the increase in global CO2 emissions confirmed and continued” as “Global coal consumption (responsible for about 40% in total CO2 emissions) grew by 2.7% in 2013, well below the decadal average of 4%” (Olivier, 2014)

 Jos G.J. Olivier, PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency The Hague, Trends in global CO2 emissions: 2014 Report. (2014)

, it is hard to determine whether the improvement was solely due to the Protocol or due to other factors such as The Great Recession which led to lower consumerism as a