Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol

1. Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol By: Scott Haines and Derek Lupyan

2. Convention on Climate Change • Drafted in 1992 • Taken into effect on March 21, 1994 • There are currently 194 parties which represent their respective countries • Has a Conference of the Parties annually • Presided over by the UN Secretariat • Description: • Objective: “…to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere to a level that would prevent anthropogenic (human caused) interference with the climate system…” • Sets up framework for future international strategies on combatting high greenhouse gas emissions • Set no limits on greenhouse gas emissions and had no way to enforce this policy until the Kyoto Protocol

3. Kyoto Protocol • International agreement established during the Convention of Parties in Kyoto, Japan in December of 1997 • Came into effect in February of 2005 • 191 countries have ratified this agreement • U.S. has not ratified this protocol, Canada has withdrawn membership • Sets binding emission reduction targets for developed country parties • Features several mechanisms which encourage green investments and helps party countries meet their emission targets in a cost-effective way • Has rigorous compliancy measures including actually monitoring member country’s emissions • Presided over and enforced by the UN • In 2012 the protocol was extended to 2020 with a successor document to be developed by 2015