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Kyoto Protocol Overview, Pros, & Cons

Edith Forsyth, Kimberly Winston
  • Author
    Edith Forsyth

    Edith Forsyth has taught High School Business for over five years. They have a bachelor’s degree in business administration from University of Evansville, Evansville, Indiana.

  • Instructor
    Kimberly Winston

    Kimberly has been a business owner for over 11 years. She has a BA in International Studies from Christopher Newport University and a MBA in Logistics & Supply Chain Management from Kaplan University.

Learn about the Kyoto Protocol and its impact on reversing or controlling the effects of climate change in the modern world. Discover the treaty's major provisions. Updated: 03/16/2022

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why was the Kyoto Protocol created?

The Kyoto Protocol was created to curb the impact of climate change caused by human activities. The agreement required signatories to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

What are the key points of the Kyoto Protocol?

The Kyoto Protocol is an international treaty aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Its key points include an obligation for signatories to implement national programs for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Furthermore, the provisions placed an economic consequence for countries that failed to fulfill their commitments.

Is the Kyoto Protocol still active?

The Kyoto Protocol lacked an effective enforcement mechanism. Coupled with opposition from business leaders and the U.S., it lacked support. In 2012, the treaty officially expired.

What is the Kyoto Protocol?

Climate change remains one of the leading global concerns. In response to the existential threat caused by climate change, countries, governments, and multinational organizations have developed international measures and frameworks to combat the problem. The most important framework is the Kyoto Protocol.

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What Is the Kyoto Protocol?

The Kyoto Protocol is the international agreement between industrialized nations to lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. It is named after Kyoto, Japan, where the agreement was drawn up in 1997 at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Now that we know what the protocol was, let's take a closer look at what it was attempting to address.

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Kyoto Protocol Provisions

Kyoto Protocol 1997 was named after the Japanese city where it was enforced in 1997. In full, the treaty is known as the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Specifically, the Kyoto climate provisions seek to reduce greenhouse emissions below 1990's levels. The treaty is widely recognized as the most important environmental agreement ever enacted. Nonetheless, critics continue to question its practicality and effectiveness, which explains why some countries are reluctant to follow the treaty fully.

According to the provisions, signatories must develop and enforce national programs designed to reduce their atmospheric carbon footprint. Applicable policies of the treaty target the reduction of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases such as sulfur hexafluoride, nitrous oxide, and methane. The Kyoto Protocol also targets a reduction of hydrofluorocarbons and perfluorocarbons in the atmosphere. According to the scientific mechanics underlining the protocol, high levels of these greenhouse gases result in a global increase in average temperatures. This phenomenon is called global warming. The increase in global average temperatures is caused by imbalanced atmospheric energy due to high levels of carbon, methane, and other greenhouse gases.

The Kyoto Protocol provisions are justified by scientific studies on the impact of global warming. According to existing research, continued global warming will have adverse long-term environmental implications, including:

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How is the Kyoto Protocol enforced? The Marrakesh Accords established the treaty's compliance system. A compliance committee facilitates and enforces compliance with the underlying provisions. Positive aspects of the international treaty that form a counterbalance to the economic activities that cause climate change include:

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Despite its apparent positive aspects, the Kyoto Protocol has compromised business interests. The international agreement significantly reduced corporate profits by limiting industrial capacities, especially in developing countries. The United States, under President George W. Bush, demonstrated more concern for business interests by refusing to sign the agreement. The president and other business leaders were myopic because they were only concerned with profits instead of human survival. As a result, they opposed US Kyoto Protocol participation in favor of business interests.

Business interests in the energy and automobile sectors have also been disrupted by the increased preference and investment in green energy. Traditional sources of energy, such as fossil fuels, face increased competition from alternative energy sources such as solar power and electricity. Electric-powered cars are expected to dominate the market in the future, spelling doom for fuel-based automobiles.

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The Kyoto Protocol is an international agreement established to combat climate change, the shift in weather patterns due to long-term rise in global temperatures. Specifically, the treaty seeks to reduce greenhouse gas emissions such as carbon dioxide and methane. These emissions are directly linked to global warming, an increase in average global temperatures. The automobile sector is the main contributor to climate change due to cars relying on fossil fuels. The Kyoto climate provisions seek to reduce greenhouse emissions below 1990's levels. As such, signatories are obliged to develop and implement national programs that will reduce their carbon footprint.

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Greenhouse Gases

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), greenhouse gas emission occurs as a result of human activities. GHG is the emission of any gaseous substance that inhibits the release of heat from the atmosphere, causing temperatures to rise at the earth's surface and ultimately, causing the occurrence of extreme weather for extended periods of time.

Many reports point to the burning of fossil fuels as a large source of GHGs. What does this mean? What is humanity's role in creating GHGs? When fossil fuels are burned they produce energy, which is used for such things as electricity or fuel. So, when it is said that GHGs are caused as a result of human activity, it could be caused from something as simple as driving to work. How many times have you driven to work, school, or your local park just in the last week?

Now, imagine millions of other people doing the same thing. Add millions of other activities that require electricity or fuel into the GHG equation and you have a big problem. The Kyoto Protocol is the United Nations' attempt to address this issue. The Kyoto Protocol is mainly concerned with six GHGs:

  • Carbon dioxide
  • Methane
  • Sulfur hexafluoride
  • Nitrous oxide
  • Penfluorocarbons
  • Hydrofluorocarbons

Kyoto Protocol Conditions

There were two conditions that the United Nations insisted on for the ratification of the Kyoto Protocol. The first condition was that at least 55 industrialized nations needed to sign the agreement. The second condition was that the nations that signed the agreement had to account for at least 55% of the world's emissions. The Kyoto Protocol was scheduled to be in effect 90 days after the conditions were met.

The first condition was satisfied when Iceland signed the agreement on May 23, 2002. The second condition was satisfied when Russia signed the agreement in November of 2004. The Kyoto Protocol went into effect on February 16, 2005. Each nation that signed the agreement had individual targets to lower their emissions by. The Kyoto Protocol set an overall target to lower GHG emissions by 5.2 percent of the 1990 GHG emissions between the periods of 2008 to 2012.

Video Transcript

What Is the Kyoto Protocol?

The Kyoto Protocol is the international agreement between industrialized nations to lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. It is named after Kyoto, Japan, where the agreement was drawn up in 1997 at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Now that we know what the protocol was, let's take a closer look at what it was attempting to address.

Greenhouse Gases

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), greenhouse gas emission occurs as a result of human activities. GHG is the emission of any gaseous substance that inhibits the release of heat from the atmosphere, causing temperatures to rise at the earth's surface and ultimately, causing the occurrence of extreme weather for extended periods of time.

Many reports point to the burning of fossil fuels as a large source of GHGs. What does this mean? What is humanity's role in creating GHGs? When fossil fuels are burned they produce energy, which is used for such things as electricity or fuel. So, when it is said that GHGs are caused as a result of human activity, it could be caused from something as simple as driving to work. How many times have you driven to work, school, or your local park just in the last week?

Now, imagine millions of other people doing the same thing. Add millions of other activities that require electricity or fuel into the GHG equation and you have a big problem. The Kyoto Protocol is the United Nations' attempt to address this issue. The Kyoto Protocol is mainly concerned with six GHGs:

  • Carbon dioxide
  • Methane
  • Sulfur hexafluoride
  • Nitrous oxide
  • Penfluorocarbons
  • Hydrofluorocarbons

Kyoto Protocol Conditions

There were two conditions that the United Nations insisted on for the ratification of the Kyoto Protocol. The first condition was that at least 55 industrialized nations needed to sign the agreement. The second condition was that the nations that signed the agreement had to account for at least 55% of the world's emissions. The Kyoto Protocol was scheduled to be in effect 90 days after the conditions were met.

The first condition was satisfied when Iceland signed the agreement on May 23, 2002. The second condition was satisfied when Russia signed the agreement in November of 2004. The Kyoto Protocol went into effect on February 16, 2005. Each nation that signed the agreement had individual targets to lower their emissions by. The Kyoto Protocol set an overall target to lower GHG emissions by 5.2 percent of the 1990 GHG emissions between the periods of 2008 to 2012.

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