Kyoto Protocol Essay

The Problem Of The Kyoto Protocol
recent years, the population of Quebec has shown increasing awareness and concerns for the
protection of the environment . Like all the industrialized nations on the planet, Quebec, and more
generally Canada, produces huge amounts of greenhouse gas, which have terrible effects on the
planet. The Kyoto protocol, ratified in 1997, is the initiative for Governments around the world to
act in favor of the reduction of GHG emission. Furthermore, the Government of Quebec has taken
action to promote a greener way lifestyle by subsidizing many environmentally friendly initiatives.
Special matter was accorded to transportation, which accounts for 42.5% of emissions of GHG in
Quebec. Transportation is thus the biggest emitter sector and should be...show more content...
The electric vehicle market offering the first all–electric mass–produced car made its appearance in
Canada in 2011 with the Nissan Leaf . Quebec's electric vehicle market is relatively young as well
and regroups only a few leading and innovative firms of the industry. In 2014, only 2 835 Quebecers
were owners of an electric vehicle , which is less than 0.04% of the population. The purchase price of
electric vehicles is much higher than gasoline vehicles, therefore people who purchase electric
vehicles tend to have higher income and be concentrated in particular neighborhoods. In addition,
another important factor in vehicle choice these days is their repercussions on the environment.
Some consumers are concerned with environmental degradation, and are motivated to reduce carbon
emissions and its impact on the environment, therefore they purchase more fuel–efficient vehicles. A
recent estimate states that the industry is booming; on average, three to four electrical cars are
estimated to be sold every day in the province of Quebec.
The demand for electrical vehicle is strongly concentrated in the MontГ©rГ©gie area (540 cars), on
the South–Shore and in Montreal (340 cars). This demographic concentration shows that the demand
is related to the accrued presence of recharge stations (as well as income), in the MontГ©rГ©gie
area there is 74 stations available, which is more than anywhere else. This implies that the demand is
higher
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Kyoto Protocol Essay
Introduction In response to growing concerns over the increasing concentration of greenhouse gases
in the atmosphere, many nations came together in 1992 to sign the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change (1992). This voluntary agreement pledged that member nations
would work to reduce greenhouse emissions to 1990 levels by the year 2000. As it became apparent
that major nations such as the United States would not be able to meet these guidelines, the parties
to the treaty decided in 1995 to start negotiations for a protocol that would legally bind nations to
reductions and limitations in greenhouse gas emissions (Congressional Research Service Report
98–2). These negotiations took place in Kyoto, Japan and were...show more content...
Developing countries do play a role in the other aspects of the agreement however, mainly in the
emissions trading and joint implementation sections. Emissions trading is defined in the protocol as
the system in which a member country "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 order to meet its
treaty commitments. This trading has several regulations, among them that such trading only be in
addition to domestic actions towards emissions reduction (CRS Report 98–2). Joint implementation
is a form of trading in which a member country can receive emission reduction credits when it funds
an emissions reduction project in another country that effectively reduces emissions in that country.
This area of the protocol has received the most attention and debate, especially surrounding the
development of the "clean development mechanism" (CDM) through which joint implementation
could occur between developed and developing nations (CRS Report 98–2). It was clear at the end
of the Kyoto negotiations that many issues still needed to be addressed before the protocol would
be able to achieve the support and ratification of interested parties. The member nations decided to
work on finalizing the

2.0. Introduction The Republic of South Africa signed the Kyoto Protocol under the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) on 31 July, 2002 as a non–annex I party.
Therefore, South Africa, like all other developing countries has not been allocated specific targets
to commit to under the protocol. At the 15th Conference of the Parties (COP) negotiations that
took place in Copenhagen in 2009 (UNFCC, 2009), South Africa took the responsibility to carry
out mitigation actions to reduce their emissions 34% by the year 2020, and 42% by the year 2025,
below the business as usual trajectory (Voster, Winkler and Meagan, 2011 p.243). However, this
pledge is subject to the provision and assistance of adequate, capacity building, financial and
technological support from other developed countries. These targets were officially submitted to the
Copenhagen Accord on 29 January, 2010. Furthermore, South Africa is said to be a participant of
the World Bank's Partnership for Market Readiness (PMR). This is a capacity building program
supporting the development of market–based policies. South Africa's exposure to the carbon market
has mainly been through the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). There are projects that are
submitted to the Designated National Authority (DNA) for initial review and approval. They cover
the following project types; bio–fuels, energy efficiency, waste management, cogeneration, fuel
switching and hydro–power, and cover sectors like

The Kyoto Protocol
The Kyoto Protocol, negotiated in December 1997, is the first major step toward implementation of
the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The Protocol sets
targets for industrialized nations to reduce their emissions of greenhouse gases over the next 10
years. It offers four means to achieve those targets: domestic action and three international
market–based instruments. These mechanisms work through emissions reductions or through
enhancements in the ability of terrestrial ecosystems to absorb carbon. This Dialogue focuses on the
Protocol's provisions to enhance the ability of terrestrial ecosystems to absorb carbon. These
provisions may create incentives and financial mechanisms for more effective and...show more
content...
Trees are a major storehouse of carbon, because they account for a huge amount of biomass. A
mature forest stores carbon in the roots, trunks, branches, and leaves of trees. As they grow, trees
absorb small additional amounts of carbon from the atmosphere. At the same time, the decay of
organic matter on the forest floor and in the soil emits carbon back into the atmosphere. In an old
forest, these emissions are less than the absorption by the trees, so the forest ecosystem is a net
carbon sink .Now suppose that the trees are harvested, after which young trees are planted. The
harvested trees are converted to lumber, plywood, sawdust, paper, and other materials. Their
roots––now dead––are left in the soil, as is some debris from the treetops. The lumber––up to
one–half of the trees' biomass––may be used in home construction or furniture, and so will continue
to store carbon for many years. The sawdust and paper, however, are likely to become waste fairly
soon, ending up in an incinerator or landfill from which their carbon will return to the atmosphere
after combustion or decay. On the land, new trees were planted after the harvest. They are small
and growing quickly, and they absorb carbon. However, the roots and debris from the old forest are
still in or on the ground, decaying and emitting carbon. The new plantation forestry ecosystem will
be a net emitter of carbon into the atmosphere, and will remain so for about a decade, until much of
the

Kyoto Protocol Research Paper
The Kyoto Protocol
The Protocol:
In December of 1997 the industrial nations of the world met in Kyoto, Japan to discuss a protocol
that would require each nation to reduce their emission levels of greenhouse gases. On average the
protocol required a 5.2% reduction on emission of greenhouse gases, mainly carbon–dioxide, in each
signatory nation. 1 However some nations, like the U.S. who were obligated to reduce emissions
by 7% of their 1990 levels by 2012, were required to reduce emission levels more or less than the
average of 5.2% based on the current levels the nation emits. By March 16, 1997 the protocol was
opened for signature and the first nations to sign were Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Maldives,
Western Samoa, Switzerland...show more content...
During the course of a year, each American on average puts more than 5 tons of carbon out there,
not counting what he or she exhales." 9 Greenpeace saw this move by President Bush as an "echo
of all those major oil companies that bankrolled his bid for the White House." 10 President Bush
early on in his term was skeptical of the existence of global warming and commissioned a panel of 11
scientists to examine the situation. The panel concluded that the problem of global warming is real,
human made, and a threat. They also included in the report an estimated rise in temperature would
occur between 2.5–10.4 degrees by 2100.11
According to an article written by Seth Borenstein for the Knight Rider Newspaper the U.S. Energy
Information Administration claims that carbon–dioxide emissions have gone up by 13% since 1990
in the United States. 12 Therefore making the reductions the U.S. would have to make a total of 19%
of the current amount of emissions in less than 10 years. According to the Bush Administration and
experts this figure that the U.S. is required to achieve is an unrealistic goal. In addition the Bush
Administration feels that all of the requirements stipulated in the protocol are unrealistic and
difficult given that it doesn't explain guidelines on how to reduce carbon–dioxide emissions. 13
Therefore the Bush Administration has come up with alternatives.
The Bush Administration instead seeks to

Kyoto Protocol : Success Or Failure?
The Kyoto Protocol: Success or Failure? The Kyoto Protocol Treaty was an international legally
binding agreement under the UNFCCC (put into effect in 2005) whose goal was to decrease
global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 5.2% in comparison to the levels recorded in 1990 by
2012. Whilst this is a global target, different countries have been assigned there own individual
targets which collectively add up to 5.2% (Bloch, 2012). This goal was to be achieved without
impeding the development of developing countries which is why most of these countries were not
required to reduce their GHG emissions and in some cases, were even allowed to increase them.
Meanwhile, Annex–I countries with high GHG emissions were the ones with the highest reduction
targets. For example, The United States had a target reduction of 7%, Canada 6% and the United
Kingdom 12.5% (UNFCCC, 2014). In order to meet these targets, countries were allowed to trade
GHG emission rights amongst themselves. This meant that countries that emitted less GHG than
permitted would be able to sell their excess emission rights to countries who wished to use more
than they had the right to. Nevertheless, this protocol needs the cooperation of the international
community in order for the global target to be reached (Grubb, 2003). As can be seen, these goals
are very specific and are obviously quantifiable. Therefore, objective measurements can be made to
determine the success or failure of this international agreement. It is

The Kyoto Protocol Essay
This paper examines the Kyoto Protocol and the United States position on their participation in the
Kyoto Protocol. To understand the underpinnings of the Kyoto Protocol one must agree that our
planet is warming, and we (its citizens) are contributing to its warming. Any general argument about
global warming has to address at least the following five questions:
1.Is global warming really occurring?
2.If global warming is occurring, are humans responsible for it?
3.If global warming is occurring, what will the consequences be for life on earth?
4.If human action is contributing to global warming and the consequences are likely to be negative,
what can be done and what are the social, political and economic consequences of...show more
content...
The Kyoto agreement, approved by 178 countries, but not by the U.S., at the United Nations
convention in Bonn, call for industrial nations to reduce their emissions to 5.2% below 1990 levels
("U.S.'s Kyoto advantage may not last––long–term, American business could be less energy–efficient
than rivals", 2001). While the Kyoto calls for signatory countries to revert to 1990 emission levels
by 2012, and that at least 55 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions sign the treaty before it can
be legally effective (Hathaway–Zepeda, 2004). To make the Kyoto Protocol acceptable for richer
countries two concession were made:
1.Carbon sinks (such as forests) as well as sources of greenhouse gases would be counted toward
meeting a country's obligations.
2.Countries would be allowed to trade their emissions targets, so that the rich countries could buy
credits from other countries in order to emit more than their allotment. (Gardiner, 2004, p. 24).
Some critics of the protocol indicate that Kyoto has the potential of " rolling back the industrial
revolution and outlawing the internal combustion engine"...the protocol sets the stage for countries
like Japan and Germany for massive re–engineering of their heavy industry and transportation
systems (Winestock, 2001).
United States Position
President Clinton

Kyoto Protocol and The Obligations of the Parties
The Obligations of the Parties The UNFCC and Kyoto Protocol establish different types of
obligations for different groups of Members. Such commitments revolve around mitigation, research,
observation, education, training, public awareness and reporting. Adaptation to the adverse effects
of climate change brings about the introduction of preparation and planning commitments as well as
financing and technological assistance. The Convention divides countries into three main groups
according to the different expectations from each country which lead to differing commitments.
Annex I parties are those industrialised countries that were members of the Organisation for
Economic Co–Operation and Development in 1992 and countries with economies in transition such
as the Baltic States. Annex II parties consist of the Organisation for Economic Co–Operation and
Development members of Annex I without the countries with Economies in Transition. These
parties have to 'take all practicable steps' to promote the development and transfer of environmentally
friendly technologies to EIT parties and developing countries. Non–Annex I parties are mostly
developing countries. These parties are recognised by the Convention as being vulnerable towards
the adverse impacts of climate change – these include countries with low–lying coastal areas as well
as those prone to drought. The least developed countries classified so by the United Nations are
given special consideration under the Convention.

Nathan Lloyd
Professor Rosado
ENGL 102
22 November 2016
The Kyoto Protocol,
Description, Support and Refutation. Often times, when there is a new innovation and it is
spectacular enough, people seldom pause to look into the possible adverse side effects. Starting in
the eighteenth century, with the invention of the steam engine, humans had an amazing new way to
travel and produce goods. Yes, this dramatically reduced the price of textiles and travel time, but it
also was the start of something horrible: the pollution of our planet. It began with the burning of
wood, then coal and finally fossil fuels. It was not until the early twentieth century that scientists
started to realize the repercussions of such actions. The greenhouse gasses, released from these
energy sources, build up in the atmosphere, while deforestation reduces the planet's ability to
convert these harmful gases back to clean air. Compared to today, "the concentration of these gases
is 30 percent higher than it was at the beginning of the industrial revolution" (Haley). The majority
of scientists believe that if the people of the world continue to emit greenhouse gases, the
repercussions will be catastrophic. To help slow this poisoning of the planet, Japan put together a
treaty in 1997 and proposed it to the world.
The Kyoto Protocol... insists on lowering global greenhouse gas emissions in the hope of reaching
stabilization at some level, preferably one that is not too high. The basic requirement of the

Global Warming and the Kyoto Protocol Essay
Global Warming and the Kyoto Protocol
In the world today there are talks about why and how the people of this planet are polluting the
rivers, lakes, soil, and even air. With these talks countries are coming up with great ways to reduce
this problem. They see the effects and they are happy and life goes on but there is another problem,
the one the everyday people just can't solve with their own hands, that problem is the theory of
global warming. During December of 1997, a meeting in Kyoto, Japan, started a huge trend to try to
improve the world's greenhouse gas releasing which could cause an unnatural shift in climate
throughout the world. This meeting was called the Kyoto Protocol and about thirty– eight
industrialized...show more content...
That is a large factor in the process of ratification in many other countries. In Canada the loss of jobs
will be enormous and the cost of energy will be higher. ( Taylor) On November 27, 2002, a speech
to the Alberta Legislature stated that there is no certainty that greenhouse gases are the cause for
global warming, but there is certainty that implementing the Kyoto Protocol will cost the Canadian
economy. Also stated in the same speech a man, whom it did not state his name but he was an
expertise in this area, was saying that the government should look at all the possibilities before the
ratification. ( Lord )
The same problems are rising in the United States. The EPA is trying to lower the Regulations in
the Clean Air Act before the senate can ratify the Protocol. ( Bugnion) We are trying to save jobs of
people in high industrial business but it is hard at this point cause most are moving to china where it
is cheaper to make product. If the protocol is ratified, it will disrupt the U.S. economy and that is
why the President did not have trouble making the decision of no which with that it would not be
brought before the senate. ( Christianson) There have been protests about this decision by college
students. In the Washington Times, a woman from a local university stated that during the summer
of 2001, many people from across the nation would be protesting in Washington. (

Essay about Kyoto Protocol
"After ten days of tough negotiations, ministers and other high–level officials from 160 countries
reached an agreement this morning on a legally binding Protocol under which industrialized
countries will reduce their collective emissions of greenhouse gases by 5.2%. The agreement aims
to lower overall emissions from a group of six greenhouse gases by 2008–12, calculated as an
average over these five years." (UNFCCC, 2011)
In December of 1997, 160 countries gathered in Kyoto, Japan to agree upon a Protocol that will
curb emissions and hopefully restore emission levels to pre–industrial numbers. This Protocol is the
Kyoto Protocol established by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Control. It is
widely believed that...show more content...
The atmospheres absorption of this energy helps keep our average global temperature at an ideal
level for life. Notably important is the temperature of our oceans. Our oceans are compared to a sink
for carbon dioxide, in that they hold much of the carbon dioxide that would otherwise be in the
atmosphere (Wikipedia, 2011). As the temperature of the oceans rise, they absorb less and less
carbon dioxide. Thus increasing the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and increasing
the global mean temperature, creating a snowball like effect, that would be nearly impossible to
reverse. To prevent this catastrophe the Kyoto Protocol was established as a "global legally
binding agreement" (Wikipedia, 2011). The objective of this agreement was to provide financing for
developing countries. The financial aid would go towards new technologies to help these countries
develop in a more sustainable manner. The Protocol also hoped to install mechanisms that report,
verify, and review the carbon emissions of each country. Lastly, the countries that helped create the
Kyoto Protocol wanted it to be a legally binding agreement that had consequences for countries who
failed to meet their emission target. The Kyoto Protocol was established as a part of the United
Nations Framework Convention on Climate Control (UNFCCC). All parties that are

Under the Kyoto Protocol, a group of developed countries' (so–called Annex B countries) pledged to
cut their greenhouse–gas (GHG) emissions by varying amounts, averaging 5.2%, by 2012 as
compared to 1990. Was Kyoto Protocol a success? According to IEA (2014), the Annex B
countries emitted 6.4% less in 2012 compared to 1990, and the participating Annex B countries
emitted 14.2% less (excluding the US and Canada). However, the global GHG emissions soared by
more than 50% in the same period (IEA, 2014). Researchers argue that the effect of the Kyoto
Protocol should be discounted by production offshoring to the Non–Annex B countries (Kanemoto,
et al., 2014; Peters et al., 2011a). For example, Peters et al. (2011a) find that the net emission...show
more content...
To bridge this gap, trade in value–added (TiVA) database is developed jointly by OECD and WTO
(Ahmad et al., 2011; OECD–WTO, 2012). In the database, TiVA accounts for value
–added of one
country directly and indirectly embodied in the final consumption of another country.
Nevertheless, not only the value–added but also the air pollutants, such as GHG emissions,
associated with the production process of the final products are often partitioned across different
countries (Davis and Caldeira, 2010; Peters et al., 2011a; Wiedmann et al., 2007). Under the
production fragmentation and lower costs of transportation, on the one hand, trade in final products
is increased due to outsourcing of assembling activities. On the other hand, trade in intermediate
products is also increased due to increased international processing. Trade with final or intermediate
products concurrently implies trade with embodied emissions. Consequently, there is a fast growth
of emissions embodied in the world trade during the past decades (see Chapter 2). Using the
example mentioned above, Figure 1.1 illustrates that to serve the US consumers' demand of mobile
phones, carbon emissions rise not only in the US (E4), but also in Chile (E1), Korea (E2) and China
(E3) that involved in the production procedures. Despite that

Kyoto Protocol Canada
Why is the Kyoto Accord so difficult for Canada to follow, and how has it responded?
Canada's commitment to the Kyoto Protocol was a relatively short–lived deal met with plenty of
controversy that saw opposition and support. The Kyoto Protocol is an international treaty that
extended the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) that
commits countries to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions based on the assumption that global
warming exists and man–made CO2 emissions are the contributing factor (Kyoto Protocol 1997).
When the Liberal party lost the 2006 elections to the Conservative party, Canada had already gone
back on its promise of a country–wide movement, undoing any progress towards its Kyoto goals
(Canada and...show more content...
It is significant to recognize that as a non–binding agreement, if the reductions were not met, no
penalty would be issued and no money paid forth. This is unlike the Kyoto's binding agreement that
was estimated to cost $14 billion in penalties for not achieving its goals, where if Canada had
decided to continue to attempt its original goals, the costs were said to be twenty times lower
(Canada and the Kyoto Protocol

The Impact Of The Kyoto Protocol
The current status of the Paris Agreement is accompanied with very high aspirations in limiting
emissions to relatively safe levels. It lies with a new style of international cooperation, one that has
allowed 195 countries to adopt an agreement that is likely to have a significant impact on the
emissions that breaks new ground in international climate policy, by setting free to make their own
commitments. However, the global surface temperatures are predicted to rise by are predicted to
rise by 3–4 В°C, far above the agreement's goal of limiting increases to 1.5 В°C. This implies that
chances of success for Paris will be determined by the overall efforts to reinforce or integrate these
nonbinding commitments included in the national pledges...show more content...
In fact, both China and India's emissions increased dramatically as well as the United States is
ranked as the largest emitter per capita in the world. The absence of these three countries made treaty
not as successful. Furthermore, the system was relatively less flexible, which could be another
reason the Kyoto Protocol failed. Less flexibility is based on the concept of strictly binding
commitments that would lead countries offering conservative promises that ultimately have no real
impacts on combating emissions. In contrast, the nations approached with a new style of the treaty
that aligns with their self–interests made deeper cooperation. Instead of tailoring the agreement with
the traditional top–down approach where countries are centralized with a concept that the starting
point of creating a solution is to develop one concrete collective goal to resolve the issue, which was
a stagnant process with mere achievements, Paris fully implemented the model of nationally
determined contributions. By creating their own commitments, it brought greater flexibility.
Divisions between the so–called developed and developing worlds were one of the major causes to
yield the meager results

Kyoto Protocol And The Protocol
As a basic description the Kyoto Protocol is a document, which legally binds all member countries
that are classified as 'developed' to meet specific emission reduction targets. The protocol brings
with it several 'Commitment periods', which as the name suggests are periods of time by which
member states are bound to the protocol. The initial commitment period began in 2008 and ceased
in 2012. The next began in 2013 and will end in 2020. Currently there are 192 member states to the
protocol. It has been determined that developed countries are primarily responsible for the current
elevated levels of Greenhouse gases (GHG). The Kyoto Protocol puts heavier goals on the developed
countries based on the idea of differentiated but common responsibilities. The Protocol dictates that
there are six primary Greenhouse gases identified as contributing the most harm to the natural
environment, these being: Methane, Carbon Dioxide, Nitrous Oxide, Hydro fluorocarbons, Per
fluorocarbons and Sulfur Hexafluoride (U.S. EPA, N.D.)
Each nation has their own individual targets. The average target was a cut of roughly 5%, in
comparison to the levels in the atmosphere in 1990 and 2012 (The Guardian, 2012). Some countries
have a different approach to the protocol than others. An example of this is the United States, which
is yet to ratify the protocol and also happens to be the second largest total emitter (second to China)
and largest emitter per capita of greenhouse gases in the world (M.

Global climate change has been a concern for everyone since scientists first discovered that our
actions from polluting can have drastic effects on our environment. Many scientists began to note the
changes in the atmosphere and temperature, global warming, in the mid 1800's. Many people believe
that the Earth's climate cycles and changes periodically over time. Many believe that the changes
occur as a result of human activity. The big questions is what effect is our activity having on the
environment.
The costs benefits of global climate change
The costs of climate change for a developed country is easy, because there is money to spend there.
These countries are the richer more developed areas of the world who have the money to spend
...show more content...
The Kyoto Protocol has several provisions that allow for geographic flexibility. Reductions in costs
can also be done through international trade of emissions rights. This will also depend largely on
how many countries participate in this trade. The economic costs will also depend on the length of
time a country has to enact the changes needed to fit their requirements. The longer a country
procrastinates the more expensive it will be.
Recommend a policy for climate change
There are many ideas out there on how to reduce GHG through various policies, but, coming up
with an idea on short notice is not an easy task. The best thing to do is come up with some goals
that have worked over time and put those together as one idea.
The first though would be working as a whole. Done just make this a political objective, make it a
national objective. Get the people of our country involved. Ask them for ideas and what they can
do to help out. Find ways for smaller communities to get involved and set up models for cities to
help them with ideas to reduce emissions. Many cities like Tokyo, Japan have train systems that
reduce the number of cars used by the public.
The plans have to be more individualized by area because some may need more attention than
others. Some parts of the US might not need any adjustments while other places need more. Southern
California, for example has immense smog issues and is

The Pros And Cons Of The Kyoto Protocol
Kyoto accord is a set of rules to the United Nations, on climate changes. This protocol is aimed at
fighting global warming; UNFCCC is an international treaty to deal with the greenhouse gases and
reduce their effect on the climates. This protocol was introduced in 1997 in Kyoto Japan and was
enforced fully in 2005. Almost 187 countries signed this protocol to aid in the stopping of drastic
detrimental changes to the environment. The protocol serves many purposes staring from the
awareness about the global warming. This then legally states that members must help fight global
warming. The protocol's objective is to stabilize the reconstruction of greenhouse gases in the
atmosphere to prevent dangerous altering with the climate. Specifically,...show more content...
Potential climate risks avoided include more severe weather patterns, abnormal ecosystems, less
biodiversity, less drinkable water, loss of coastal areas from rising sea levels, rises in temperature,
and the increased incidence of infectious diseases such as malaria and yellow fever. On the other
hand, climate change might benefit agriculture and forestry by increasing productivity with longer
growing seasons and more fertilization. Also, the Kyoto Protocol neglects economic as well as
scientific realities; therefore, qualifies as a fundamentally flawed treaty. The Kyoto protocol relies
on governments applying tax and regulatory measures that require companies to send out lower
volumes of greenhouse gases. This action would raise production costs and result in lower earnings
for greenhouse gas–generating activities. An emission rights "market" created by the Kyoto
protocol would reduce earnings further. Due to the purchase of emission rights involving an
additional cost, profitable production will be lower. These rights risk becoming increasingly
expensive as time goes on since the aim of the protocol is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Companies will find these rights increasingly hard to purchase. With the restraints enforced by the
Kyoto conditions, some companies will be unable to support losses from investments with no
payback and costs required by new spending on "greenhouse friendly" technologies. In addition to
this struggle, are the costs resulting from the fact that resources redirected to meet the protocol;
several hundred billion dollars a year will not be available for companies to invest, or individuals to
spend on other more beneficial projects. Despite global warming and climate change being a major
issue, the economic sacrifices outweigh the benefits of reduced greenhouse gas emissions due to
major countries not taking the Kyoto protocol

International Trade and The Kyoto Protocol
Pollution, specifically global warming, is of growing concern to people and governments. It is a
controversial issue whose validity is still being debated by scientists. The Kyoto Protocol is an
international attempt to address global warming through emissions controls. Traditional neoclassical
economic models do not incorporate pollution in rudimentary theories of supply, demand, or pricing,
as a result, firms do not consider pollution as a cost of production, which leaves government
regulation as the primary method for controlling these externalities. The goal of emissions trading is
to allow one business, which can make greenhouse gas emission reductions for a relatively low cost,
to sell...show more content...
Annex I countries are industrialized nations with large carbon emissions, such as the US, Australia,
EU, and Russia. The agreement has four implementation mechanisms designed to achieve the desired
reductions in emissions, but only asks that countries comply with the reductions rather than
suggesting a methodology. The primary method for countries to reduce emissions is through
domestic policies, traditionally taking the form of governmental controls, which each nation would
be responsible for creating and enforcing. Domestic policy is "...likely to become a 'hook' to ensure
that the industrialized countries implement the policies necessary to spur real changes towards less
carbon–intensive production and consumption patterns (Depledge 11)." The domestic policy article
in the Kyoto Protocol is intended to provide governments, not an international body, with direct
control over domestic emissions.
"For the time being, however, it is still the flexibility mechanisms that have attracted the most
attention... (11)." The "flexibility mechanisms" are the offshore policies of joint implementation,
clean development, and emissions trading. As the primary focus of the protocol and creating the
biggest impact on international trade, these provisions in the agreement concern international trading
of emissions credits.
Joint implementation allows Annex I governments to invest

The Pros And Cons Of Kyoto Protocol
Global warming influences every country in the world adversely. In order to relieve this issue, in
1997, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) formulated and enacted
Kyoto Protocol in Japan. At the beginning, more than 150 countries joined the conference. After that,
other countries ratified Kyoto Protocol in succession. Until now, there are about 192 countries have
already ratified the protocol. The United States, however, chose to drop out in 2001 after becoming
one of the participants for four years. (Cable News Network Library, 2017) Drawbacks of Kyoto
Protocol and negative impacts on the economy are two main reasons why the United States dropped
out.
Kyoto Protocol is an agreement that forces all the signatory countries to make great efforts to
relieve global warming. It is widely accepted that greenhouse gases are able to heat earth since they
can prevent heat from escaping from the atmosphere, a reasonable amount of greenhouse gases is
needed to keep the earth warm at a constant and comfortable level, but the overabundance of those
gases can influence earth adversely and thus increase the temperature beyond desirable level. Kyoto
Protocol is aimed at solving this kind of problem. Therefore, we can say that Kyoto Protocol "is an
international treaty among industrialized nations that sets mandatory limits on greenhouse gas
emissions." (Rouse, M., 2013) The countries who ratified the protocol will be a member of the
United Nations Framework

The US Involvement In The Kyoto Protocol
Global warming has become one of the most complicated issued facing the whole world. It may
cause significant changes in natural, ecological or social systems. Under this circumstance,
developed nations has decided to work together to combat this serious problem. The Kyoto Protocol
is an international agreement linked to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change. Its objective is to make nations that ratified the agreement reduce their emissions of carbon
dioxide and five other greenhouse gases, or engage in emissions trading if they maintain or increase
emissions of these gases toward the target set for each nation. Many countries are trying their best to
support the Kyoto Protocol. On the other hand, some other nations,...show more content...
Additionally, it is said that the new standard was considering would have caused devastating harm,
wiping out millions of American jobs and costing our economy more than $1 trillion over a decade,
without any significant environmental or health benefits. As we can see these facts, to work on
reducing the greenhouse gas emission, the US has to spend a lot of money. In addition to this fact,
it is obvious that economic growth and increased energy demand are closely linked to increased
emissions of CO2. The US cannot go on achieving the recovery of its economy and the reduction
of greenhouse gas emission at the same time. Therefore, it will take a long time to make the US
get involved in the Kyoto Protocol. It is now busy to rebuild its economy, and doesn't have much
scope to care about this global issue. Out of this economical problem the US facing, there are some
other reasons why the US cannot be active on supporting the Kyoto protocol. I'd like to think of
them in the next paragraph.
It is often discussed in the relation to the Kyoto Protocol its exemptions of many nations including
major emission nations like India and China. This is one of the most difficult point regarding the
Kyoto Protocol; at the same time, and one of the reasons why the US cannot be cooperative about
the Kyoto Protocol. China, India, and other developing countries were exempt from the requirements
of the Kyoto Protocol, even though

Kyoto Protocol Essay

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