a protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on
Climate Change (UNFCCC or FCCC), aimed at fighting global warming. The UNFCCC is an international environmental treaty with the goal of achieving "stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system.“
The Protocol was initially adopted on 11 December 1997 in Kyoto, Japan and entered into force on 16 February 2005. As of July 2010, 191 states have signed and ratified the protocol.[
Under the Protocol, 37 countries ("Annex I countries") commit themselves to a reduction of four greenhouse gases (GHG).
Participation in the Kyoto Protocol, as of June 2009,
Green = Countries that have signed and ratified the treaty
Grey = Countries that have not yet decided
Red = No intention to ratify at this stage.
Overview map Of States Committed to a CO2 reduction in the 2008-2012 Kyoto Protocol period.[2]
Green countries = Committed to reduction
Yellow countries = Committed to 0% reduction
Red countries = Not committed to any reduction
EU-countries like Greece,Spain,Ireland and Sweden have not committed themselves to any reduction while France has committed itself not to expand its emissions (0% reduction) in the internal-EU distribution agreement. This agreement ensures a 8% reduction for the EU-region as a whole in accordance with the Kyoto Protocol.[3] Greenland has only committed itself through Denmark. However Greenland has not committed itself to a reduction towards Denmark. But might do it in the next period.
Are either countries who have Non-annex 1 status in the protocol, and thereby are not obligated or countries that have not signed the protocol yet[4]