Climate change has been a major problem since the 1800s and continues to worsen today. In December 1997, countries concluded an international treaty, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which set out a plan for how to reduce climate change. The plan was called the Kyoto Protocol and was implemented in Kyoto, Japan. The protocol came into force in 2005, under the agreement countries decide to reduce their annual emissions measured in six greenhouse gases. (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change). The goal was for countries to reduce their emissions by 2008 to 2012, by an average of 5.2 percent from the 1990 level. The impact was to impose restrictions on the most polluted countries, manage transport by reducing or reducing automobile emissions and, finally, to force countries to use renewable energy. More than 160 countries signed the treaty, the United States produced a quarter of the global emissions signed by the treaty, but later refused, which largely explains why the Kyoto protocol was not as successful. effective. Although the United States has refused the Kyoto Protocol treaty, many local governments believe that some international limits on greenhouse gases are inevitable. To keep pace with the industrial world, “more than 150 American mayors are pushing programs aimed at reducing emissions” (Malakoff and Williams). More than a dozen states have decided to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. California is a major player in reducing CO2 emissions in the United States. In 2006, the governor of California signed a bill called the California Global Warming Solutions Act (AB32). The hope is to reduce statewide emissions by 2020 and return them to 1990 levels. California's cap and trade is a program that has established a... middle of paper ......energy/raising the curtain-on-the-planned-carbon-market in California/>.Francis, Daniel and Anthony Mansell. “Global Carbon Markets: A Case Study Guide to Emissions Trading.” IETA. Environmental Defense Fund, March 20, 2014. Web. May 18, 2014. “Kyoto Protocol.” Kyoto Protocol. Internet. May 15, 2014. “Legal Resources.” Understand California cap and trade regulations. Internet. May 17, 2014. .Malakoff, David and Erin Marie Williams. “Questions and Answers: A Review of the Kyoto Protocol.” NPR. NPR. Internet. May 17, 2014. “Carbon prices”. TckTckTck RSS. Internet. May 17 2014. .