Kyoto Protocol

Definition

The Kyoto Protocol is an international agreement adopted in 1997 that set binding emissions reduction targets for developed countries in an effort to combat global climate change. It represents a landmark international effort to address the environmental crisis of greenhouse gas emissions and their impact on the planet.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. The Kyoto Protocol required developed countries to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by an average of 5% below 1990 levels between 2008-2012.
2. The protocol divided countries into Annex I (developed) and non-Annex I (developing) countries, with only Annex I countries having binding emissions reduction targets.
3. The United States signed but did not ratify the Kyoto Protocol, while Canada withdrew from the agreement in 2011.
4. The Kyoto Protocol represented a shift towards a more multilateral approach to addressing global environmental issues like climate change.
5. The protocol's mechanisms, such as emissions trading, were intended to provide flexible and cost-effective ways for countries to meet their reduction targets.

Review Questions

• Explain how the Kyoto Protocol relates to the right to a healthy environment.
  • The Kyoto Protocol was a landmark international agreement that aimed to address the environmental crisis of climate change and global warming, which directly impact the right to a healthy environment. By setting binding emissions reduction targets for developed countries, the protocol represented a collective effort to mitigate the harmful effects of greenhouse gas emissions and protect the planet's ecosystems and natural resources that are essential for human health and well-being. The protocol's mechanisms, such as emissions trading, were designed to provide flexible and cost-effective ways for countries to meet their environmental obligations and uphold the right to a clean, sustainable environment for all.
• Describe how the Kyoto Protocol relates to the concept of state sovereignty and anarchy in the international system.
  • The Kyoto Protocol challenged traditional notions of state sovereignty by requiring developed countries to adhere to binding emissions reduction targets, which constrained their ability to unilaterally determine their own environmental policies. This represented a shift towards a more multilateral approach to addressing global issues like climate change, where states agreed to cede a degree of their sovereignty in the interest of collective action. However, the protocol also highlighted the anarchic nature of the international system, as the lack of a central enforcement mechanism meant that states could choose whether or not to comply with their obligations, as seen with the withdrawal of the United States. The protocol's mixed success in achieving its goals underscored the tensions between state sovereignty, international cooperation, and the need for effective global governance to address transnational environmental threats.
• Analyze how the Kyoto Protocol and its aftermath relate to the post-Cold War period and modernization theory.
  • The Kyoto Protocol emerged in the post-Cold War period, a time of increasing globalization and growing awareness of shared environmental challenges facing the international community. From the lens of modernization theory, the protocol represented an effort by the international community to promote sustainable development and technological innovation as a means of addressing the environmental crisis of climate change. The protocol's market-based mechanisms, such as emissions trading, were intended to incentivize developed countries to modernize their economies and adopt cleaner, more efficient technologies. However, the uneven implementation and ultimate shortcomings of the Kyoto Protocol also highlighted the limitations of modernization theory in the context of global environmental governance. The failure of major economies like the United States to fully commit to the agreement demonstrated the persistent tension between economic development, national interests, and the need for collective action to address transnational environmental threats in the post-Cold War era.

Related terms

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC): The international treaty that provides a framework for intergovernmental efforts to address climate change, which the Kyoto Protocol was developed under.

Carbon Emissions: The release of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, primarily from the burning of fossil fuels, which contribute to global warming and climate change.

Emissions Trading: A market-based approach where countries or companies can buy and sell emissions allowances in order to meet their reduction targets under the Kyoto Protocol.