CLIMATE CHANGE

Climate change is the result of the negative impact of global warming on our planet. The
accumulation of greenhouse gases as a result of burning fossil fuels has led to higher
temperatures. As a result, the weather patterns of the planet have been dramatically altered.
Even if we take action today, it will be years, maybe even decades, until greenhouse gas
accumulation will decrease, as it is absorbed by forests and oceans. Unfortunately, it is very
likely that the negative effects of climate change increase before the situation turns positive.
The climate of the planet has changed rapidly, especially in the last 10 years. Overall, the
highest temperatures have been recorded since 1990.
Contrary to some beliefs, global warming and climate change do not improve our lifestyle. The
effect is indisputably a negative one. It is imperative that we take urgent action; if we hesitate,
our future will become uncertain. Climate change is probably the greatest threat humanity has
ever faced.

FIGHTING CLIMATE CHANGE

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Kyoto
Protocol provide the global institutional framework for fighting climate change, setting the goal
of our efforts, as well as key principles for achieving it.
One of the key principles of the UNFCCC is that of "shared but differentiated responsibilities",
which requires developed countries to lead in the fight against climate change and its impact.
By differentiating between developed and developing countries, the UNFCCC recognizes that
developed, industrialized countries are responsible for most of the greenhouse gas accumulation
in the atmosphere and have the financial and technological resources needed to reduce their
emissions.
The UNFCCC obliged its signatories to establish national programs for reducing greenhouse
gas emissions and to submit regular reports. It was also necessary for the signatory
industrialized countries, but not for developing countries, to stabilize their greenhouse gas
emissions at 1990 levels by the year 2000.
The UNFCCC signatories meet annually to review progress, discuss further action, and put in
place a series of global monitoring and reporting mechanisms to track greenhouse gas
emissions.

KYOTO PROTOCOL

Governments knew that the efforts of the UNFCCC would not be sufficient to address climate
change seriously. On December 11, 1997, they took a step forward and adopted a protocol of
the UNFCCC in the Japanese city of Kyoto: the Kyoto Protocol. Built under the UNFCCC, the
protocol sets mandatory limits on greenhouse gas emissions from 38 industrialized countries,
including all EU member states, except for Cyprus and Malta, as well as the EU as a single
body (known as EU-15, as it had only 15 member states back then). Implementation
mechanisms (the so-called "Kyoto flexible mechanisms"), aimed at lowering costs related to
reducing emissions, were also introduced.
Under the Kyoto Protocol, industrialized countries are required to reduce their emissions of six
types of greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons,
perfluorocarbons and sulfur hexafluoride) by about 5% below 1990 levels during the first
commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol (2008 to 2012). A 5-year commitment period was
preferred to a target year in order to account for annual fluctuations in emissions due to
uncontrollable factors, like the weather. There were no emissions targets for developing
countries.
The Kyoto Protocol entered into force on February 16, 2005. As of June 2007, 172 countries
and the European Community have ratified this protocol. Two countries that initially signed the
treaty did not ratify: the USA rejected the protocol, while Australia decided not to ratify it. This
means that 36 developed countries plus EU-15 have committed to achieving their Kyoto goals.