The Kyoto Protocol is an international environmental treaty which was adopted in December 1997 in the Japanese city of Kyoto. The Kyoto Protocol aims to reduce gas emissions that contribute to global warming. To date, 192 states have signed and ratified the Kyoto Protocol. The United States of America signed the protocol in 1998, but has not ratified it until today. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”? Get the original essay The Kyoto Protocol committed countries that signed and ratified it to develop national programs to reduce their gas emissions greenhouse effect, such as carbon dioxide and methane. . The greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets agreed in the Kyoto Protocol were different for each country depending on its particular situation. However, only industrialized countries were obliged to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, while developing countries were not required to do so. Developing countries, such as China and India, were not required to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions because their per capita emissions were lower than those of developed countries. The Kyoto Protocol allowed less developed member states to increase their emissions in order to grow economically, while wealthier, more environmentally progressive member states were obliged to reduce their emissions by an average of 8% by 2012 compared to 1990 levels. The Kyoto Protocol provided various approaches for states to achieve their emissions reduction targets. One approach was to use natural processes, often also called “sinks,” that remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. Reforestation is an example of such sinks, as trees are able to absorb carbon dioxide from the air. The Clean Development Mechanism program is another approach established by the Kyoto Protocol to combat climate change. This program encourages industrialized countries to invest in infrastructure and technology in developing countries, where there are often enormous opportunities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. An example of such an investment would be a clean-burning natural gas power plant that would replace a coal-fired plant. Another approach was emissions trading, which allowed participating countries to buy and sell emissions rights. This assigned an economic value to greenhouse gas emissions. The European Union has developed the “European Exchange Scheme”, a mechanism aimed at achieving the objectives of the Kyoto Protocol. Countries that are unable to meet their emissions targets would be forced to make up the difference between their targeted and actual emissions, plus a penalty amount. Under the ETS, 40% of total EU GHG emissions fell under a system in which emission allowances would be allocated and made tradable on a carbon market. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now.Get a Custom EssayThe Kyoto Protocol has also been often criticized. According to some critics, the final benefit for the environment is not significant, since China and the United States, two of the main emitters of GHGs, were not included in the protocol's objectives (China due to its status as a developing country and the United States because of its status as a developing country). he has not ratified the protocol). Others.