• Home Page
  • Kyoto Protocol: A Performance Assessment Of The Kyoto Protocol

Kyoto Protocol: A Performance Assessment Of The Kyoto Protocol

Improved Essays
Show More
A Performance Assessment of the Kyoto Protocol

Introduction

The Kyoto Protocol, adopted in 1997 by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), was designed to address the global emissions of greenhouse gasses. Effective in 2005, it provided legally binding targets for countries which varied depending on the level of development of the country as well as contained certain measures for collaboration between countries for trading credits. Evidently, to successfully reduce global greenhouse gas emissions requires complete international cooperation, especially the cooperation of heavy polluting nations. If there is not full cooperation from heavy polluting nations, no matter how successful the protocol is with the cooperating …show more content…
Annex I parties, which are primarily comprised of developed nations, were given varying targets of greenhouse gas reduction in the range of 5 to 9% relative to 1990 levels of emissions in the timeframe between 2008 and 2012. Non Annex I parties, primarily developing nations in Africa, Asia, and South America, were not given binding targets ADDIN EN.CITE UNFCCC19978(UNFCCC, 1997)8810UNFCCC,1997Kyoto, JapanUnited Nations( HYPERLINK l "_ENREF_6" o "UNFCCC, 1997 #8" UNFCCC, 1997). As greenhouse gas emissions are quantifiable, they can be compared to the targets set based on the 1990 emission levels. The necessary data exists in 1990 for which these targets are based on and therefore the targets are …show more content…
CornelisDepartment of Economics, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, CanadaCanadian Public PolicyCanadian Public Policy397-416294climate changeenvironmental policyinternational agreementKyoto Protocol2003University of Toronto Press Inc.03170861( HYPERLINK l "_ENREF_8" o "van Kooten, 2003 #2" van Kooten, 2003). This looseness reduced legitimacy in eyes of many nations, including Canada, Japan, and the Netherlands. As a result, the consequence of failing to meet targets was not sufficient to increase the priority of reducing emissions for many

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    Summary Of Carbon Taxation By Jack Minz
    • 273 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Summary Of Carbon Taxation By Jack Minz

    In his article, Jack Minz contends that current government policies of taxation are ineffective in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. He begins by discussing the failure of the Canadian government to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by six percent between 1990 and 2012, as promised during the 1997 Kyoto protocol. At the time this article was written, with policies of tax giveaways and subsidies failing, the Liberal party leader Michael Ignatieff promised a system of carbon taxation if elected. According to Minz, this is an ineffective reduction method, since commodities like gasoline or natural gas are needed for heating and transportation for some individuals. This issue is magnified for low income individuals, in which the cost of these supplies…

    • 273 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Kyoto Research Paper
    • 409 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Kyoto Research Paper

    Kyoto; Japan Kyoto was the ancient capital of Japan containing 250 000 people, give or take a few. Kyoto was established in 794. Kyoto was divided into four parts, the East, West, South and North ends, Kyoto covers 827.90 acres of Japan's land. Kyoto consists of various of seasons, summer dad could get very hot while winter days were average. Kyoto was the place of culture and art, woodblock paintings by artisans had become very common, Zen gardens and Geishas became popular.…

    • 409 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    The Carbon Emission Curve Is Exponential Analysis
    • 935 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The Carbon Emission Curve Is Exponential Analysis

    Chapter 5. Top-down approaches haven’t been effective. What are the reasons why is there such a clash between developed and developing countries over emissions…

    • 935 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Trudeau Climate Change
    • 311 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Trudeau Climate Change

    Climate change is a very significant, yet controversial environmental issue that has come to societies attention in recent years. Studies have shown that climate change causes negative environmental changes such as destruction of ecosystems, frequent droughts, and increases in global sea levels (Heath & Gifford, 2006). Although there are many studies that show evidence of climate change and the negative effects it has on the environment, there are still people that refuse to believe that climate change is a real and occurring issue. The following paper will begin by outlining the current federal climate change response policies in Canada under the Trudeau government. The mitigation and adaptation responses that have been practiced at the federal…

    • 311 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Traditionalism And The Neo-Traditionalist Issue Of Environmental Values
    • 1234 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Traditionalism And The Neo-Traditionalist Issue Of Environmental Values

    We need to start taking action now in order to have any chance in slowing down the process of climate change. One governmental policy that takes a neo-traditionalist approach on climate change is the policy of Cap-and-Trade. Cap-and-trade is a limit, through the use of permits, on the amount of greenhouse gas emission that companies can release. According to Professor Kathleen Segerson, there are three components involved in Cap-and-trade system. First, the cap needs to be below current emissions and is therefore a “binding cap”.…

    • 1234 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    The Facilitative Branch
    • 502 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The Facilitative Branch

    Under the Accords, a Compliance Committee consisting of a ‘facilitative branch’ and an ‘enforcement branch’ was to be established. The facilitative branch, as its name suggests, aims to provide advice and facilitation to the parties in implementing the Protocol, and to promote compliance by the parties. It is responsible for addressing questions of implementation by the parties In addition, the facilitative branch may provide financial and technical assistance to any party concerned, as well as formulate recommendations. Essentially, the facilitative branch acts as an early warning mechanism of non-compliance and attempts to assist parties reach the proper fulfilment of its obligations under the Protocol.…

    • 502 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Great Essays

    Key Arguments In Support Of Global Climate Change
    • 1428 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Key Arguments In Support Of Global Climate Change

    The Kyoto Protocol (KP) is an international agreement to reduce the global levels of greenhouse gas (GHG) and resulted from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which commits its parties by setting internationally binding emission reduction targets (“United Nations Framework,” n.d.).” The Kyoto Protocol acknowledges that global warming does exists and is the result of man-made CO2 emissions. The protocol was adopted in 1997 and came into force in 2005. The guiding principle is “common but different responsibilities:” and directs the obligation to reduce current emissions on the primary sources, developed countries, due to current levels of GHG being attributed to their industrial activity (“United Nations Framework,” n.d.). There is a built-in flexibility in how countries are to meet the reductions such as increased natural carbon sinks, emission trading, clean development mechanism in developing countries, and joint mechanism in which a developed country sponsors a developing country to decrease emission levels (“United Nations Framework,”…

    • 1428 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Global Warming In Canada Essay
    • 1016 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Global Warming In Canada Essay

    As some of the biggest contributors to global warming, multiple countries, including Canada, have not done enough to reduce the international problem of greenhouse gas emissions. Too much non-renewable energy is being used and, as a developed country, Canada has little to no resilience in terms of transportation usage such as cars, trucks, and planes; this significantly increases our GHG (Greenhouse gas) emissions through the pollution caused by fossil fuels. According to some sources, we have the “8th largest ecological footprint”; if the entire world lived like Canadians, “it would take 4 Earths to support the demand” (CBC). It is unfair for an already developed country that caused this problem to be doing the least to repair the biological health of this planet, when some developing countries, such as Singapore, are doing their best to prevent a dreadful future for all of humanity. Between 2005 and 2011, Canada’s economic status grew by 8.4% while its GHG emissions decreased by 4.8% (Government of Canada).…

    • 1016 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Great Essays

    Global Warming In Canada
    • 2001 Words
    • 9 Pages

    Global Warming In Canada

    In fact, euphorically Canada is halfway to meet its Copenhagen Accord goals and emissions are now a projected 122 megatonnes higher than Canada’s target of 612 (Harris, K). Additionally, over the past few years, Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions have decreased by 3.1% while the economy grew by a significant 12.9% (UNFCCC, 2015). Furthermore, the Government of Canada is targeting Canada’s major economic partners, like the United States to regulate their missions too, recognizing the fact that U.S accounts for 20% of Canada’s emissions (Government of Canada, 2013). As a result, Canada has placed regulations on two major sectors: transportation,…

    • 2001 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Great Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Public Policy
    • 1397 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Public Policy

    Moreover it is even a problem that the Canadian government has repeatedly promised to address. Yet according to the Council of Canadians (n.d.), Canada has relaxed its emissions targets, abandoned the Kyoto Protocol, cut funding for renewable energy projects, and lobbied in favor of tar sands mining which is very environmentally…

    • 1397 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    The Pros And Cons Of Global Climate Change
    • 1460 Words
    • 6 Pages

    The Pros And Cons Of Global Climate Change

    The Paris Agreement specifies a minimum goal of limiting global temperature increase to 2°C with a stretch goal of 1.5°C as preferred in order to prevent the most damaging effects of global warming from impacting the most vulnerable populations in the world (Figueres 2016). However, a recent report released by the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Program states that the arctic climate is already transforming due to current CO2 levels, and sea level rise by the end of the century is likely to be twice as great as previous estimates (AMAP 2017). The AMAP report also states that even with the strategies included in the Paris Agreement, sea levels will still increase by nearly half a meter over the next 80 years (AMAP 2017). These data lead inevitably to the conclusion that current climate change reduction strategies based on reaching a net-zero yearly increase on atmospheric CO2 ¬by 2050 are ultimately insufficient to the stated goals of minimizing the damage of global warming to the populations at the highest…

    • 1460 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Superior Essays

    Informative Essay On Global Climate Change
    • 1399 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Informative Essay On Global Climate Change

    Global Climate Change The Issue The debate over global climate change seems to keep the media outlets buzzing as much as sports, fashionistas, and President Donald Trump. In fact, the debate over global climate change and its alleged impact on the Earth and American industry seem to even grip the President’s administration as Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator Scott Pruitt has held the headlines lately with his seemingly absurd and wavering stance on the subject (Bacon, 2018). The strange thing is that both sides of the debate do not seem to disagree on the science of how greenhouse gases can have an effect on the Earth, but the debate begins on whether there is a positive or negative correlation between greenhouse gas effect…

    • 1399 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Kyoto Protocol Effect
    • 1007 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Kyoto Protocol Effect

    The Effectiveness of the Kyoto Protocol in reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions What is climate change and what is the Kyoto Protocol? Climate change is believed to be the consequence of the steady and substantial release of greenhouse gases (GHGs) caused by humans since the industrial revolution. These GHGs are scientifically agreed upon to have led to an increase in average global temperatures (IPCC, 2014). The increasing global temperatures associated with GHG emissions is predicted to have a number of global environmental consequences; such as rising sea levels, changes in precipitation patterns, and expansion of deserts in the subtropics (Lu et al., 2007).…

    • 1007 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    The Impact Of Climate Change In The European Union
    • 3496 Words
    • 14 Pages

    The Impact Of Climate Change In The European Union

    European Union is recognized as one of the leaders in implementing new environmental policies and instruments for them. The targets of the EU are often ones of the most ambitious in the world. Adaptation strategies are developing continuously to strengthen the resilience of Europe. However, for the EU member states it is not an easy task to collaborate in dealing with environmental issues, since their recourses and targets differ. For instance, in October 2014 The EU leaders agreed on greenhouse gas reduction targets by 2030.…

    • 3496 Words
    • 14 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Global Warming Compare And Contrast Essay
    • 1140 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Global Warming Compare And Contrast Essay

    Global warming has become an increasingly popular topic for discussion among economists because of the human activity that is contributing to the rising pollution in today’s society. Economists such as William Nordhaus in his article, “After Kyoto: Alternative Mechanism to Control Global Warming,” have argued that a carbon tax is the most efficient form of action to reduce carbon emissions. On the other hand, other economists such as Robert Stavins argues in his article, “Addressing Climate Change with a Comprehensive U.S Cap and Trade System,” that a cap and trade system should be implemented instead of a carbon tax. While both of these market instruments have their strengths and weaknesses, another popular approach is combining these two market instruments into a hybrid approach with a cap and trade system complemented with a price floor or ceiling or maybe even both. I will analyze all three approaches and talk about each market instrument’s strengths and weaknesses.…

    • 1140 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More

Related Topics

Ready To Get Started?
Discover
Company
Follow
©2024 Cram.com
Privacy Policy |  About Ads |  Site Map |  Advertise  | 
  • Cookie Settings