Kyoto Protocol
In December 1997 the third Conference of the Parties (COP 3) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change took place in Kyoto. The Kyoto Protocol was negotiated in the course of this conference. The Kyoto Protocol defines binding targets for industrialized countries and countries in transition over the period from 2008 to 2012 for limiting emissions of six greenhouse gases (CO2, CH4, N2O, HFCs, PFCs and SF6) to restrain the anthropogenic greenhouse effect.
The objective is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 5.2 percent in comparison to the basis year of 1990. These emission targets will become binding under international law as soon as the protocol is ratified by 55 parties who are responsible for 55 percent of the greenhouse gas emissions of the Annex I countries (basis: 1990).
One of the core points of the Kyoto Protocol was to embody the Kyoto mechanisms (also flexible mechanisms) for partial achievement of the emission targets. The mechanisms are based on the basic economic idea of carrying out emissions reduction as cost efficiently as possible. The flexible mechanisms include:
- Joint Implementation
- Clean Development Mechanism
- Emissions Trading
- Further Information
- UNFCCC Kyoto Protocol
- Contact JI/CDM-Team
