What is the Kyoto Protocol?
History:
The concept of sustainable development dates back a long way but
it was at the UN Conference on Human Environment (Stockholm, 1972)
that the international community met for the first time to consider
global environment and development needs.
The 20th anniversary of Stockholm took place in 1992 in Rio de
Janeiro. The UN Conference on Environment and Development, the "Earth
Summit", agreed on Agenda 21 and the Rio Declaration.
The Summit brought environment and development issues firmly into
the public arena. Along with the Rio Declaration and Agenda 21 it
led to agreement on two legally binding conventions: Biological
Diversity and the Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC).
The Protocol
The Kyoto Protocol
is a document signed by about 180 countries at Kyoto, Japan, in
december 1997.
The protocol commits 38 industrialised countries to cut their emissions
of greenhouse
gases between 2008 to 2012 to levels that are 5.2 per cent below
1990 levels.
How are greenhouse gases produced and what impact do they have
on the environment?
Greenhouse gases is a term a used for gases (like carbon dioxide)
which are mainly generated as a result of burning fossil fuels like
coal, petrol and diesel.
While, the use of these fuels have helped industrialisation enormously,
it has caused a steady increase in levels of carbon rich gases and
other pollutants. Scientists predict that higher levels of greenhouse
gases will cause a significant warming of the earth by about one
to five degrees celcius.
This could cause potentially disastrous changes in the environment
like violent storms, expanding deserts and melting ice caps, causing
sea levels to rise and engulf coastal regions.
According to one estimate, global warming could cost the world
about $5 trillion. Developing countries are expected to be the
hardest hit.
For more definitions of terms please visit Environment Canada's
glossary at
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