Kyoto Protocol to the UNFCCC 2005
Greenhouse gas emissions have continuously risen not only due to natural activity but human as well; there is a strong relationship between anthropogenic factors and global climate change. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has estimated that average global temperatures will rise 1.4-5.8 C by 2100 if greenhouse gas emissions continue to increase (York, 2005). A call for action was necessary so the UNFCCC began to discuss the Kyoto Protocol in 1997. One of its main goals was to reduce emissions by 5% below the 1990 level between 2008 and 2012 (UNFCCC, 2014). International cooperation is of high importance for the Kyoto protocol to progress and succeed, especially due to the historic evidence that …show more content…
First of all, the UNFCCC does not have a clear definition of “dangerous” GHG emission levels making its goals a bit unclear (Holland, 2015). In the Kyoto Protocol, there is a “quantified emission limitation or reduction commitment” listed in Annex B per participant and each has to report back by a certain deadline with progress results. The Kyoto Protocol then reviews the inventories submitted based on a “bottom-up” approach. Expert Review Teams are responsible for the technical assessment but there is a challenge concerning the staff and different measurement mechanisms. The staff must be qualified to understand complex data and issues. On another note, data complications such as “lack of complete information, inaccurate official statistics, insufficient base-year statistics and lack of up-to-date land use, land-use change and forestry” are present as well. Even though there are emission reporting guidelines and several system boundaries there are usually inaccuracies compared to the actual amount of emissions released into the atmosphere. There is scientific uncertainty, which brings the additional challenge that inaccurate documentation restricts emission trade between participants (Rypdal, Stordal, Fuglestvedt & Berntsen, …show more content…
The Kyoto protocol encourages this mentality by pushing those countries that chose to ratify to build their own policies and measures to reduce GHG by using all mechanisms available to them. Some of these mechanisms include joint implementation, the clean development mechanism and emissions trading; in return participants may be rewarded with GHG credits (UNFCCC). Wealthier participants should be encouraged to stand by these methods by transferring environmentally sound technologies to underdeveloped countries. This will allow them to develop in an efficient and sustainable means to avoid “excessive consumption of fossil fuels and destroying of balanced ecosystem”. As illustrated in China, a problem facing technology transfer is that the holders (EU being one of the main technology sources) may not be willing to transfer them under the existing legal system, which makes clean development mechanism projects weaker. To make the Kyoto Protocol more successful it would be ideal to urge resource preservation and scientific development domestically and join in technological transfer agreements and economic cooperation internationally (Ma, 2010). As for numerical results, after the first deadline,
Greenhouse gas emissions have continuously risen not only due to natural activity but human as well; there is a strong relationship between anthropogenic factors and global climate change. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has estimated that average global temperatures will rise 1.4-5.8 C by 2100 if greenhouse gas emissions continue to increase (York, 2005). A call for action was necessary so the UNFCCC began to discuss the Kyoto Protocol in 1997. One of its main goals was to reduce emissions by 5% below the 1990 level between 2008 and 2012 (UNFCCC, 2014). International cooperation is of high importance for the Kyoto protocol to progress and succeed, especially due to the historic evidence that …show more content…
First of all, the UNFCCC does not have a clear definition of “dangerous” GHG emission levels making its goals a bit unclear (Holland, 2015). In the Kyoto Protocol, there is a “quantified emission limitation or reduction commitment” listed in Annex B per participant and each has to report back by a certain deadline with progress results. The Kyoto Protocol then reviews the inventories submitted based on a “bottom-up” approach. Expert Review Teams are responsible for the technical assessment but there is a challenge concerning the staff and different measurement mechanisms. The staff must be qualified to understand complex data and issues. On another note, data complications such as “lack of complete information, inaccurate official statistics, insufficient base-year statistics and lack of up-to-date land use, land-use change and forestry” are present as well. Even though there are emission reporting guidelines and several system boundaries there are usually inaccuracies compared to the actual amount of emissions released into the atmosphere. There is scientific uncertainty, which brings the additional challenge that inaccurate documentation restricts emission trade between participants (Rypdal, Stordal, Fuglestvedt & Berntsen, …show more content…
The Kyoto protocol encourages this mentality by pushing those countries that chose to ratify to build their own policies and measures to reduce GHG by using all mechanisms available to them. Some of these mechanisms include joint implementation, the clean development mechanism and emissions trading; in return participants may be rewarded with GHG credits (UNFCCC). Wealthier participants should be encouraged to stand by these methods by transferring environmentally sound technologies to underdeveloped countries. This will allow them to develop in an efficient and sustainable means to avoid “excessive consumption of fossil fuels and destroying of balanced ecosystem”. As illustrated in China, a problem facing technology transfer is that the holders (EU being one of the main technology sources) may not be willing to transfer them under the existing legal system, which makes clean development mechanism projects weaker. To make the Kyoto Protocol more successful it would be ideal to urge resource preservation and scientific development domestically and join in technological transfer agreements and economic cooperation internationally (Ma, 2010). As for numerical results, after the first deadline,