Sustainable development and the Kyoto Protocol

1. Sustainable development and the Kyoto Protocol Domenico Santino ENEA – Global Climate Project santino@casaccia.enea.it

2. Sustainability Climate Change The road to Kyoto OUTLOOK

3. Sustainability Giving economic development a future

4. Natural capital Natural resources Services provided for human activity Ability of natural environment to maintain its long-term health Human/social capital Connectedness to people and society Education, skills and health of population Financial/Built capital Manufactured goods, buildings, infrastructure Information resources Credit and debt Society capitals

5. World Commission on Environment and Development, also known as Brundtland Commission[1987] defined sustainable development such as : “…development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs"

6. Other definitions

7. Repetto R. 1985, "The global possible - Resources, development and the new century", Yale University Press, New Haven. "…our economic systems should be managed so that we live off the dividend of our resources, maintaining and improving the asset base (...) as development proceeds, the composition of the underlying asset base changes”

8. "Sustainability, like justice, is a value not achievable by purely individualistic market process" Daly H. E. 1986, "Thermodynamic and economic concept as related to resource-use policies: comment", Land Econ. 62."

9. "In simple terms, sustainable development argues for: a) ... Resources harvest rates at levels no higher than managed or natural regeneration rates; b)...wastes disposal rates should not exceed rates of (natural or managed) assimilation in the counterpart ecosystems" Pearce D. W. 1988, "The sustainable use of natural resources in developing countries", in Turner R. K. (ed.) 1988

10. "We take development to be a vector of desirable social objectives, and elements may include: • increase in real income per capita • improvements in health and nutritional status • educational achievement • access to resources • a 'fairer' distribution of income • increases in basic freedoms • ... sustainable development is then a situation in which the development vector increases monotonically over time". Pearce D., Barbier E. and Markandya A. 1990, "Sustainable development. Economics and environment in the Thirld World", Earthscan Publications.

11. WEAK SUSTAINABILITY Manufactured capital of equal value can take the place of natural capital STRONG SUSTAINABILITY The existing stock of natural capital must be maintained and enhanced because the functions it performs cannot be duplicated by manufactured capital SUSTAINABILITY different levels

12. Sustainable development can also be seen as the answer from human societies to the increasing concern of the world wide environmental issues

13. Climate change Ozone layer depletion Desertification Endangered biodiversity Acid rains Global environmental issues

14. CLIMATE CHANGE A global challenge

15. Variations of earth surface temperature

18. Action Strategies • Climate change “mitigation” strategy Anthropogenic intervention to reduce the sources of ghgs and/or enhance their absorption (sinks)

19. Action Strategies • Climate change “adaptation” strategy Interventions to reduce the impacts of climate change

20. Mitigation purposes • Short term : • stabilization of anthropogenicgreenhouse gas emissions • Long term : • stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system

21. Mitigation options • Lowering emissions • Efficient use of energy • Carbon sequestration • Renewable energies • New energy vectors (hydrogen) • Nuclear energy • Enhancing ghgs removal (sinks) • Forestation, reforestation, afforestation • Curbing soil degradation • Optimization of forestry management

22. The road to Kyoto A first step for a long path

23. Significant events in the development of a global awareness of the environmental issues • 1972: Club of Rome publishes controversial Limits to Growth. (Meadows D.H et al.). It predicts dire consequences if growth is not slowed. • 1972 UN Conference on Human Environment (UNEP) held in Stockholm. The conference is rooted in the regional pollution and acid rain problems of northern Europe. Leads to the establishment of many national environmental protection agencies and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP).

24. 1983 World Commission on Environment and Devolopment, also known as Brundtland Commission 1987 Our Common Future (Brundtland Report). Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development weaves together social, economic, cultural and environmental issues and global solutions. Popularizes term "sustainable development.".

25. 1992 First Earth Summit: UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) held in Rio de Janeiro. Agreements reached on the action plan "Agenda 21" and on the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and non-binding Forest Principles. 1997 Kyoto Protocol: international agreement on greenhouse emissions

26. UNFCCC Its negotiations lasted from 1991 untill 1992. It entered into force on 21 March 1994. Its objective is written in art. 2

27. Art. 2 of UNFCCC "The ultimate objective (...) is to achieve, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Convention, stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interferencewith the climate system. Such a level should be achieved within a time-frame sufficient to allow ecosystems to adapt naturally to climate change, to ensure that food production is not threatened and to enable economic development to proceed in a sustainable manner ".

28. "The Parties should protect the climate system for the benefit of present and future generations of humankind, on the basis of equity and in accordance with their common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities.” Art. 3 of UNFCC 1/2

29. (...) The Parties should take precautionary measures to anticipate, prevent or minimize the causes of climate change and mitigate its adverse effects. Where there are threats of serious or irreversible damage, lack of full scientific certainty should not be used as a reason for postponing such measures, taking into account that policies and measures to deal with climate change should be cost-effective so as to ensure global benefits at the lowest possible cost". Art. 3 of UNFCC 2/2

30. The Kyoto Protocolagreed on 7 December 1997 The Protocol has since been ratified by over 150 countries, and entered into force (became legally binding) on 16 February 2005.

31. the 1st phase of mitigation strategy only developed countries (as in Annex B of the Protocol) The Kyoto Protocol deals with:

32. Purpose Developed countries (OCSE and East and Central Europe countries) agreed to targets that will reduce their overall emissions of six greenhouse gases by 5.2% below 1990 levels over the period 2008-2012.

33. The ghgs of the Kyoto Protocol • carbon dioxide (CO2), • methane (CH4), • nitrous oxide (N2O), • sulphur hexafluoride (SF6), • hydrofluorocarbons (HFC), • perfluorocarbons (PFC).

34. Countries included in Annex B to the Kyoto Protocol and their emissions targets *Some economies in transition (EITs) have a baseline other than 1990.** The US has not ratified the Kyoto Protocol.

35. How to reach the goal? • Domestic Policies and Measures; • Flexible Mechanisms : • Emissions Trading; • Joint Implementation; • Clean Development Mechanism.

36. Emissions Trading According to art.17 to PK, countries may acquire assigned amount units (AAUs) from other countries that find it easier to meet their emissions targets

37. Joint Implementation According to art.6 to PK, "any Party included in Annex I (Developed Countries) may transfer to, or acquire from, any other such Party emission reduction units resulting from projects aimed at reducing anthropogenic emissions by sources or enhancing anthropogenic removals by sinks of greenhouse gases in any sector of the economy, provided that: (...) (b) Any such project provides a reduction in emissions by sources, or an enhancement of removals by sinks, that is additional to any that would otherwise occur".

38. Clean Development Mechanism According to art. 12 of KP: “The purpose of the clean development mechanism shall be to assist Parties not included in Annex I in achieving sustainable development and in contributing to the ultimate objective of the Convention, and to assist Parties included in Annex I in achieving compliance with their quantified emission limitation and reduction commitments under Article 3 “

39. Additionality According to the Kyoto Protocol Articles on Joint Implementation and the Clean Development Mechanism, Emissions Reduction Units (ERUs) will be awarded to project-based activities provided that the projects achieve reductions that are "additional to those that otherwise would occur"..

40. Additionality A distinction is made between environmental additionality and economic/financial additionality Financial additionality means projects will only earn credit if funds additional to other commitments are specifically committed to achieve the greenhouse gas reductions Environmental additionality requires that emission reductions represent a physical reduction or avoidance of emissions over what would have occurred under a business as usual scenario

41. European Union ratified the Kyoto Protocol during the Meeting of the Ministries of the Environment on 4 March 2002.

42. Under the Kyoto Protocol, the European Union and its Member States have agreed to meet a joint target of a -8% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions below 1990 levels by 2012.

43. This 'bubble' arrangement allows the EU's target to be redistributed between member states to reflect their national circumstances, requirements for economic growth, and the scope for further emission reductions. In June 1998, environment ministers agreed how the target should be shared out.

45. EU Emissions Trading Directive 2003/87/EC The EU Emissions Trading Directive 2003/87/EC was agreed on 22 July 2003 following discussions between the European Commission, the European Parliament and the European Council. The Directive came into force on 25 October 2003 when it was published in the EU's Official Journal.

46. The scheme is based on six fundamental principles: It is a “cap-and-trade” system. Its initial focus is on CO2 from big industrial emitters. Implementation is taking place in phases, with periodic reviews and opportunities for expansion to other gases and sectors. Allocation plans for emission allowances are decided periodically. It includes a strong compliance framework. The market is EU-wide but taps emission reduction opportunities in the rest of the world through the use of the CDM and JI, and provides for links with compatible schemes in third countries.

47. About 11500 installations in the 25 Member States are covered by the Directive, accounting for around 45% of the EU's total CO2 emissions or about 30% of its overall greenhouse gas emissions.

48. Thanks for your attention!