The Kyoto Protocol
By: George Hamilton
What is the Kyoto Protocol?
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It’s a United Nations-sponsored agreement among nations to reduce their
greenhouse gas emissions by the year 2012.
The Kyoto Protocol was finalized in 1997 after years of negotiations and the addition
of binding targets for greenhouse gas reductions.
The Protocol is aimed at developed countries, with no binding targets for
industrializing countries like China and India, and required ratification of enough
countries to represent 55% of the developed world’s CO2 emissions.
With the US having signed and not ratified the Protocol, it took until 2004 and
Russia’s ratification to bring the treaty into force.
By the time the Kyoto Protocol had been brought into force, more than halfway
through the allotted time for reduction, most countries’ greenhouse gas emissions
had risen substantially. Many industrializing countries’ emissions were rapidly
increasing as well.
Few of the world’s developed countries are expected to meet their 2012 Kyoto
targets.
Notes for Slide 1
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I put the information in the bulleted points, rather than explaining them all in my notes
section…
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Sources: “The Rough Guide to Climate Change”, Robert Henson
US Stance on the Kyoto Protocol
•Despite the US being a Kyoto signatory, they have yet to ratify the Protocol due to many
reasons.
•In 1997, the Senate passed the Byrd-Hagel Resolution. This stated that the US would not
sign the Kyoto Protocol if there were not binding targets for developed as well as developing
countries and if it “would result in serious harm to the economy of the United States.”
George Bush specifically pointed out China (now the world’s leading CO2 emitter) and India
as countries with high CO2 emissions that shouldn’t be allowed exemptions.
•Despite the US government stance on the Protocol, many US states and individual cities
have brought about their own versions of Kyoto in an attempt to reduce GHG’s. Much of
these efforts are thanks to Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels and his attempt at a nationwide
effort to get cities to agree to the Protocol. It has been reported that Seattle hit its target
reduction of 8% in 2005.
Notes for Slide 2
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The graphs shown represent the leaders of total CO2 emissions, on the left, and
leaders in CO2 emissions per capita, on the right. Although China has recently
overtaken the US as the leader in total CO2 emissions, they still trail far behind the
US in terms of emissions per capita. Bush bases his statements on the total CO2
emissions graph when arguing that China as well India should be subjected to the
same binding reduction targets as the rest of the developed countries in the Kyoto
Protocol.
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Sources: “The Seattle Times: Seattle meets Kyoto global warming targets.”, “ByrdHagel Resolution”, “The Rough Guide to Climate Change”
Support for the Kyoto Protocol
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All countries of the world agree that reduction of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is
an important topic needing immediate reaction. Former President Bush acknowledged
America’s need to reduce emissions, despite his reluctance to sign the Kyoto Protocol,
by saying, “This is a challenge that requires 100% effort…my administration is committed
to a leadership role on the issue of climate change.”
Leaders of support for the Kyoto Protocol include the UN and the European Union as
well as many environmental organizations in the US. Some of these groups within the
US include The National Environmental Trust, the Union of Concerned Scientists, Energy
Action and many more. Moreover, many individual cities and states within the US have
promised to abide by Kyoto Protocol provisions.
Supporters for the Kyoto Protocol often agree that this initial round of reductions may
have little actual effect. Although, they remain hopeful that countries will remain
committed to necessary preventative measures and that the initial round of reductions
will lead to larger, more effective reductions in the near future.
Notes for Slide 3
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Sources: “President Bush discusses Global Climate Change”, The Rough Guide to
Climate Change, Ross McKitrick “Submission to the Joint Standing Committee on
Treaties inquiry into the Kyoto Protocol.”
Opposition to the Kyoto Protocol
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Despite the US being the only major country to have not ratified the Kyoto Protocol, there
are pockets of opposition to the Kyoto Protocol’s provisions, effectiveness, and economic
impact across the globe.
Many people think the Kyoto Protocol reduction targets are unreasonable and will do little
to effect the total amount of CO2 in the atmosphere. This sentiment is echoed by the
Copenhagen Consensus project which found that the Protocol would have a superficial
overall benefit.
A report by the International Policy Network (IPN) claims that restricting GHG emissions
in industrialized countries will actually hinder the growth in developing countries. This
report can be seen as an attempt to persuade Europe to model their climate policy after
that of the US.
Some skeptics also believe that although humans have increased CO2 concentrations,
the climate change will not be as disruptive as popular opinion states. These skeptics
often believe that the warming will be too expensive to try to fix or reduce. Bjorn
Lombourg estimates cost of global warming at 5 trillion dollars and argues that the effect
of the Kyoto Protocol will be minimal. It will at least not create enough benefit justify the
waste of money and global resources.
Notes for Slide 4
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Sources: Bjorn Lumbourg, “the Skeptical Environmentalist”, CICERO
www.cicero.uio.no/fulltext/index_e.aspx?id=3494, “The Impact of the Kyoto Protocol
on US Economic Growth and Projected Surpluses”, The Rough Guide to Climate
Change