Which Carbon Emissions Is The Kyoto Protocol Trying To Reduce?

The Kyoto Protocol, an international treaty adopted in 1997, aims to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases contributing to global warming. It was adopted in Doha, Qatar, on 8 December 2012, and has been adopted for a second commitment period, starting in 2013 and lasting until 2020. As of 28 October 2020, 147 Parties have deposited to the Kyoto Protocol.

The first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol covers emissions of six main greenhouse gases: carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrogen. The ultimate objective of the Convention is to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that prevents dangerous human interference with the environment.

The Kyoto Protocol, the first international treaty to set legally binding targets to cut greenhouse gas emissions, was adopted 25 years ago in Kyoto, Japan. It called for reducing the emissions of six greenhouse gases in 41 countries plus the European Union to 5.2% below 1990 levels. The targets apply to the four greenhouse gases: carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), sulfur hexafluoride (SF 6), and two groups of gases: hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) and perfluorocarbons (PFCs).

In its Annex B, the Kyoto Protocol sets binding emission reduction targets for 37 industrialized countries and economies in transition and the European Union. In the first period of the Protocol (2008-12), participating countries committed to reducing their emissions by an average of 5 below 1990 levels. The Kyoto Protocol remains an important step in international climate protection aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

What are the 7 GHG gases according to the Kyoto Protocol?

The GHG Protocol Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard is a standard that covers the accounting and reporting of seven greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, sulphur hexafluoride, and nitrogen trifluoride. It aims to help companies prepare a fair and accurate GHG emissions inventory, simplify the process, provide information for effective emission management strategies, and increase consistency and transparency.

The standard is based on the expertise of over 350 experts from businesses, NGOs, governments, and accounting associations, and has been tested by over 30 companies in nine countries. The standard has been road-tested by over 30 companies.

What are the 5 main elements of Kyoto Protocol?

The Kyoto Protocol is an international treaty aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, covering six greenhouse gases: carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride. It is an extension of the 1992 UNFCCC and is crucial for the environment and ecology perspective in the IAS exam. The protocol is based on the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, considering socio-economic development of countries and the polluter pays principle. Aspirants must be thorough with the key facts about the Kyoto Protocol, as questions can be asked about it in both prelims and mains exams.

Which type of emission did the Kyoto Protocol seek to limit?

The Kyoto Protocol is a global agreement to limit and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in industrialized countries and transition economies, following the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. It focuses on developed countries, recognizing their largely responsible role in high levels of emissions. The Protocol, based on the Convention’s principles, sets binding emission reduction targets for 37 industrialized countries, transition economies, and the European Union in Annex B. These targets aim to reduce emissions by an average of 5% compared to 1990 levels over the five-year period 2008-2012, the first commitment period.

What greenhouse gases are regulated in the Kyoto Protocol?

The Kyoto Protocol regulates fluorinated chemicals, including hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride, which are powerful greenhouse gases. The protocol aims to reduce the emissions of these gases. The site uses cookies, and all rights are reserved for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies. Open access content is licensed under Creative Commons terms.

What does the Kyoto Protocol aim to reduce?

The Kyoto Protocol, adopted in 1997, is an international treaty aimed at reducing the emission of greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming. It was the first addition to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which committed its signatories to develop national programs to reduce their emissions of greenhouse gases. Greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, perfluorocarbons, hydrofluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride, affect the energy balance of the global atmosphere and are expected to lead to an overall increase in global average temperature.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, established by the United Nations Environment Programme and the World Meteorological Organization in 1988, predicts long-term effects of global warming, including a general rise in sea level, melting glaciers, sea ice, Arctic permafrost, increased extreme climate-related events, and increased risk of extinction for 20 to 30 percent of all plant and animal species.

The Kyoto Protocol committed most of the Annex I signatories to mandatory emission-reduction targets, while other signatories, mostly developing countries, were not required to restrict their emissions.

The protocol provided several means for countries to reach their targets, including natural processes like “sinks” that remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere, the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), which encourages developed countries to invest in less-developed countries, and emissions trading, which allows participating countries to buy and sell emissions rights and place an economic value on greenhouse gas emissions. European countries initiated an emissions-trading market as a mechanism to work toward meeting their commitments under the Kyoto Protocol.

Countries that failed to meet their emissions targets would be required to make up the difference between their targeted and actual emissions, plus a penalty amount of 30%, in the subsequent commitment period, beginning in 2012. They would also be prevented from engaging in emissions trading until they were judged to be in compliance with the protocol. Emission targets for commitment periods after 2012 were to be established in future protocols.

What are 7 GHG gases?

Human activity produces several major greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrogen oxide (N2O), and industrial gases like hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), and nitrogen trifluoride (NF3). These gases absorb infrared radiation from sunlight, trapping its heat in the atmosphere, causing global warming and climate change. Some gases are naturally occurring, while others, like industrial gases, are exclusively human-made. Without these gases, the earth would be too cold to support life and the average temperature would be about -2°F instead of the current 57°F.

What are the 7 GHGs in the Kyoto Protocol?

The atmosphere is composed of a multitude of gases, including carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, sulfur hexafluoride, and nitrogen trifluoride.

What is the list of GHG in Kyoto Protocol?

The document delineates the accounting and reporting of six greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, sulfur hexafluoride, and nitrogen triflouride, as part of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Kyoto Protocol.

What are the emission targets for the Kyoto Protocol?

Kyoto covers 18% of global emissions due to the absence of many major emitters. In the first period of the Protocol, participating countries committed to reducing emissions by an average of 5 below 1990 levels. The EU and its member countries, including the EU-15, committed to an 8-cut for the bloc as a whole. The EU’s reduction was broken down into legally binding national targets (QELRCs) based on the relative wealth of each country under the “burden sharing” agreement included in the Kyoto Protocol’s decision.

What are the 7 GHG emissions?

Health and Safety Code 38505 outlines seven greenhouse gases that California Air Resources Board (CARB) is tasked with monitoring and regulating to reduce emissions. These gases include carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and nitrogen trifluoride (NF3). These gases are also referred to as “high global warming potential gases” in the 2008 Scoping Plan. A list of all GHGs, their GWPs, and lifetimes can be found at GWP. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the primary greenhouse gas emitted in California and is crucial for plant and animal life.