How the Kyoto Protocol is Working to Stop CO2

Carbon dioxide is one of the most common gases that are found in terms of what is causing global warming. In 2005 the Kyoto Protocol was signed into action in Kyoto, Japan. This is an accord that was signed to help with working to reduce the levels of carbon dioxide and other gases that are causing global warming.

The Kyoto Protocol was signed into effect in 2005 as a part of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The goal of this is that all countries that have signed to follow the Protocol will agree to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. In the event that the country is still maintaining the emissions of carbon dioxide then caps on the amount that is produced in a certain country will be established so that the country will not go over what it has already done in terms of the creation of greenhouse cases.

One of the main goals of the Protocol is to keep the levels of CO2 and other greenhouse gases at a standard level in that it will not increase over time. While it is preferred that countries work to reduce the levels of greenhouse gases that they produce it is best to make sure that the countries that work with this act are going to be keeping at a level where it will not go any higher than where it was at the start of the accord.

Another of the greatest notes of the Kyoto Protocol is that of obligations that all countries that ratify the Protocol will have to meet certain treaty obligations. These obligations relate to the percentage of reduction of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide. Most countries that sign on with this Protocol have obligations of eight percent reduction in the greenhouse gases that they create between 2008 to 2012. Some countries, including Canada and Japan, have six percent reduction obligations because of emission agreements to help keep certain works in effect but to reduce others.

As of January 2008 there are more than 170 countries that have agreed to work with the Protocol. Fiji was the first to sign up in September 1998, and the most recent was Australia in November 2007. However, there are some countries that have not gotten into the Protocol. The United States has not planned to ratify the Protocol but there have been efforts led by Seattle mayor Greg Nickels to get individual cities to approve of the Protocol. More than fifty major cities have approved of the Protocol, including New York and Chicago.

The Kyoto Protocol is one of the most important things that is being used today to help combat carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the world. It is an agreement that is used to help with limiting the levels of carbon dioxide production throughout the world.