Kyoto Protocol

Adopted in 1997 and in force since 2005, the Kyoto Protocol required Annex I countries (industrialized and transition economies) to reduce their GHG emissions by an average of 5% compared to 1990 during the 2008-2012 period. It was the first treaty with binding reduction targets under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

Flexibility mechanisms:

• Emissions trading (IET): Allowed countries to buy or sell emission allowances.
• Joint Implementation (JI): Allowed one country to invest in reduction projects in another Annex I country.
• Clean Development Mechanism (CDM): Allowed industrialized countries to develop projects in developing countries in exchange for carbon credits.
  
  

Second commitment period: In 2012, the Doha Amendment was signed, extending the Protocol until 2020. However, its impact was limited due to the lack of ratification by several key countries.

Transition to the Paris Agreement:
The Kyoto Protocol laid the foundations for the Paris Agreement (2015), which extended climate responsibility to all countries, with the global goal of limiting warming to below 2°C, ideally to 1.5°C.

Importance:
It was a fundamental precedent in climate diplomacy by establishing quantifiable reduction commitments and market tools to meet them, directly influencing current climate policies.

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