Kyoto Protocol

The Kyoto Protocol originated in 1992, when 154 countries signed the U. N. Framework Convention on Climate Change. There are four main elements to the Convention:

The objective of the Convention is to stabilize greenhouse gas levels in the atmosphere within a timeframe sufficient to allow ecosystems to adapt naturally to climate change, to ensure that food production is not threatened, and to enable economic development to proceed in a sustainable manner.

Under the Convention, developed countries (such as Canada) are to take a leadership role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The Convention did not provide for precise emission-reduction targets or timetable, or a penalty system to punish violators.

Countries would meet regularly at meetings referred to as a “Conference of th

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ers. For years the World Trade Organization (WTO) has been the leading authority on trade and development issues on an international scale. While the EU won many concessions at Marrakech, it is behind environmental issues. Still, the EU is worried about the impact of a ratified Protocol on economic matters, “The EU wants to clarify how agreements like the Kyoto accord on global warming relate to the WTO, and whose rules would take precedence in case of conflict?” (Politics 1). Such brakes on development may harm economic development in many countries which is one reason why China is opposed to the Protocol for the time being. In a statement made after the Marrakech accord in which voluntary limits on emissions were called for in developing nations responsible for the majority of them, a Chinese spokesmen commented, “China welcomes the agreement, but the country opposed any new demands on developing nations” (Governments 2). Economic woes are also one reason why Japanese leaders are reluctant to ratify the Protocol. They are not afraid of losing economically to the U. S., rather they are aware of the fact that their economy is in such a condition that they would not be able meet Protocol requirements for emissions reductio
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Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 2315
Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page)

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