Transcript Kyoto Protocol

Kyoto Protocol
JOCELYN GRAUER
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Outline
 Background
 Kyoto Provisions
 Mechanisms
 Imperfections
 U.S. Policy
 Future
The Industrial Revolution
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Importance
 With greenhouse emissions on the rise, climate
change is occurring more rapidly.
 Climate change can cause disastrous effects like:
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Health: heat stress, air pollution, change in food and water
supply,& ecological disturbances.
Ecology: changes in rainfall, temperature and soil, & habitat
transforms.
Ocean: melting of glaciers, warmer oceans, rise in sea level,
coastal flooding, salinization, property loss, & reduction in
drinking water.
Food Supply: droughts.
Some Effects of Climate Change
Permafrost
Thawing
Retreating
Glaciers
Heat
Waves
Thinning Ice Sheets
Early Spawning
Alpine Meadow Changes
Noticing a Problem
 1985- Villach, Austria
 First validated evaluation of the impact of global climate
change.
 1988- Toronto, Canada
 Call for Action: To reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 2005 to
20% below 1988 levels.
 1992-Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change: To reduce
emissions by 2000 to 1990 levels.
Global Carbon Dioxide Emissions
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Formation of the Kyoto Protocol
 December 11, 1997- Kyoto, Japan
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To reduce greenhouse gas emissions between 2008 and 2012.
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How to reduce:
To assign greenhouse targets to developed countries.
 To reduce emissions 5.2% below 1990 levels.
 To arrange emissions trading of six greenhouse gasses.
 Carbon dioxide, methane, nitrogen oxide, hydrofluorocarbons,
perfluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride.
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Kyoto Finally in Effect
 November, 2004- Russia ratified.
 February 16, 2005- The Protocol entered in force.
 Enough developed nations to represent 55% of emissions
levels in 1990.
Putin and Bush take opposing views
on Kyoto.
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183 Countries ratified
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How to Reduce Emissions
 Enhance energy efficiency.
 Protect sinks and reservoirs of greenhouse gases.
 Promote sustainable agriculture.
 Promote new and renewable energy forms.
 Reduce market imperfections, subsidies, and
exemptions in greenhouse emitting sectors.
 Encourage reforms in sectors aimed at promoting
policies that reduce emissions.
 Promote measures to reduce emissions.
 Reduce methane emissions through recovery.
Mechanisms
 Emissions Trading (“The Carbon Market”)
 “Assigned Amount Units”
 Sell excess units to countries over their targets.
 Joint Implementation
 Earn emission reduction units from a reduction in emissions
by enhancement of removals by sinks.
 The Clean Development Mechanism
 Implement an emission reduction project in developing
countries.
 Over 1,000 projects registered since 2006 amounting to more
than 2.7 billion tons of carbon dioxide.
Emissions
Trading
Members set a cap of
amount of carbon
dioxide that can be
emitted.
Countries hold credits
equivalent to emissions
permitted to emit.
Countries can increase
emission allowance by
buying credits from
those that emit less.
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Joint
Implementation
Enhance natural
sequestration of
carbon.
•1. Forest: Increase
reforestation causing
removal of carbon
through photosynthesis.
•2. Ocean: Add iron to
stimulate plankton which
remove carbon through
photosynthesis.
•3. Soil: Increase no-till
farming, cover cropping,
and crop rotation.
•4. Savanna: Allow
controlled burns to
increase germination.
New Ukrainian forests planted to sequester carbon will also provide
other benefits such as protecting soils against erosion.
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Clean
Development
Mechanism
Invest reducing
emissions in
developing countries to
avoid expensive
reductions in their own
country.
1. Small Scale: Renewables
and energy efficiency.
2. Consolidated: Methane
reduction and
incineration of waste.
3. Forestry: Remediation of
degraded land.
The NorthWind Bangui project in the Philippines is the country's first
Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) project registered in Bonn,
Germany.
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Mechanisms (cont.)
 Transfers are tracked and recorded through registry
systems.
 The mechanisms:
 Help stimulate green investment.
 Help Parties meet their emissions targets cost-effectively.
Controversial Flaws
 No penalties for noncompliance or withdraw
 Possibilities: financial penalties, trade sanctions, and emission
penalties under future climate change agreements.
 What are “emission reductions?”
 Some think “sinks” should receive credits.
 Kyoto Mechanisms
 The actual use of methods have not been finalized.
Fundamental Shortcomings
 Exclusion of Developing Nations
 Old, dirty technology or no environmentally-friendly
alternatives.
 Kyoto gains offset by developing world.
 Costs and Economic Implications
 Costs are not favorable to immediate benefits.
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U.S. Climate Change Policy
 Clinton:
 1998- Signed, yet some members of Congress criticized.
 Supported Kyoto, yet criticized the exclusion of developing
countries.
 Bush:
 Voluntary actions to reduce emissions by 18% over 10 years
(2002).
 U.S. Climate Change Research Initiative and National Climate
Change Technology Initiative
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Conduct research and invest in science, technologies, and
institutions.
Overview
 The Kyoto Protocol is a significant step forward in
reducing emissions.
 There are several flexible mechanisms to help
reduction.
 However, it is diplomatic rather than legally binding.
 This complex agreement’s effects have yet to be
determined.
Kyoto Protocol
 Raises awareness about the severity of global
warming.
 Not the complete solution.
 Fundamental reduction in energy consumption.
 Changes in lifestyle.
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What You Can Do
 Learn more about the environment.
 Save electricity.
 Bike, bus, and walk.
 Plant trees.
 Recycle.
 Buy energy saving products.
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Works Cited
 Bond, Eric. “The Kyoto Protocol.” Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol.
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16 January 2003. 16 August 2008.
http://climatechange.sea.ca/kyoto_protocol.html.
Flannery, Tim. “The Road to Kyoto.” The Weather Makers. New York:
Atlantic Monthly Press, 2005.
Fletcher, Susan R. “Global Climate Change: The Kyoto Protocol.” CRS
Report for Congress. 21 July 2005. 24 October 2008.
http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/50815.pdf.
“Kyoto Protocol FAQs.” CBN News. 14 February 2007. 21 August 2008.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/kyoto/.
“Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change.” UNFCC. 21 August 2008.
http://unfccc.int/essential_background/kyoto_protocol/items/1678.php.
Pittel, Karen and Rubbelke, Dirk. “Climate policy and ancillary benefits: A
survey and integration into the modelling of international negotiations on
climate change.” Ecological Economics. 68 (2008): 210-220.