The Kyoto Protocol Agreement: Objectives, Mechanisms, and Comparison with Paris Climate Agreement

The Kyoto Protocol Agreement 1
KYOTO PROTOCOL AGREEMENT
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The Kyoto Protocol Agreement 2
Introduction
Kyoto Protocol is a multinational treaty associated with United Nations Agenda bound to
Climate Change. The agreement obligates its members by laying globally binding emission
minimization goals. The Kyoto Protocol agreement was initiated in Japan, 1997 and later
implemented in Canada, 2005 (MYERS 2001). The CMP officially adopted the Marrakesh
Accords at its main conference in Canada, in December 2005 (Fletcher 2005). Realizing that first
world countries are predominantly accountable for the present high concentrations of GHG
emissions to the environment due to over 140 years of industrial works, the agreement imposes a
more massive load on first world countries under the code of "common but differentiated
responsibilities.”
Objectives
Kyoto Protocol objective is to lessen environmental concentrations of GHGs at a stage
that will impede harmful interferences with the climate system. Every member has an obligation
to limit or lessen GHG emissions and advanced mechanisms have been initiated for members to
enhance compliance with this commitment (Fletcher 2001).
Discussion
All the countries under Protocol must accomplish their objectives through local
procedures. However, the agreement also provides additional methods to ensure the members
achieve their goals by use of 3 mechanisms namely; Universal emission trading, clean
improvement mechanism and Joint Enactment

The Kyoto Protocol Agreement 3
Universal emissions trading
Members of the pact accepted targets for regulating or minimizing emissions. These targets
are conveyed as levels of allowable emissions. The allowed emissions are distributed into
“assigned amount units” (AAUs).
Clean improvement mechanism
The Clean Development Mechanism, consents a nation bearing an emission-limitation or
emission-reduction obligation under the agreement to develop a project in the third world
countries for the purpose of reducing emissions. The project would encompass, for instance, a
rural lighting project by means of solar energy harvesting or setting up of additional energy-
abled boilers.
Joint Implementation
This mechanism permits a country with an emission reduction binder under the agreement
to get emission reduction units from an emission exclusion or emission-reduction project. Joint
implementation provides members with a cost-efficient and flexible and ways of accomplishing
some of their Kyoto pledges, while the host member profits from overseas investment and
technology transference. Projects must be granted permission by the host and partakers have to
be ratified to participate.
Question 2
In light with the Kyoto protocol, compute the simple operating margin CO2 factor for
2020;