Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
One of the basic principles of the Convention is that of “common but differen-
tiated responsibilities,” by which developed countries (Annex I countries) commit
themselves to adopt national policies and limit anthropogenic emissions of green-
house gases. In addition to that, they shall assist the developing countries (Annex II
countries) that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change
in meeting costs of adaptation to these adverse effects.
The Climate Convention has been in force since March 21, 1994. Today more
than 190 countries have ratified it as “Parties to the Convention.”
In 1997 the Conference of the Parties of the Climate Convention met in Kyoto,
Japan and adopted the Kyoto Protocol, by which the Annex I countries (the indus-
trialized countries) committed themselves to quantitative individual emission re-
duction targets to be reached in the period 2008-2012. Targets vary somewhat from
country to country, but jointly they agreed to reduce emissions of the major green-
house gases by at least 5% over 1990 levels. Developing countries (non-Annex I
countries) were exempted from mandatory targets and time tables. For that reason
the United States has signed but not ratified the Kyoto Protocol. Despite that, the
Kyoto Protocol entered into force in 2005.
In order to reduce the emission mitigation costs, the Kyoto Protocol established
three mechanisms:
1. Joint Implementation (JI),
2. Emission Trade (ET), and the
3. Clean Development Mechanism (CDM).
While JI and ET are mechanisms involving only industrialized countries, CDM in-
volves developing countries as well.
According to the rules adopted by the Kyoto Protocol, for the CDM, Annex I
countries can use certified emissions reduction from projects conducted in devel-
oping countries as part of their overall emission reduction commitments.
The reduction in emissions certified under CDM has to be additional to any that
would occur in the absence of the certified project activity. For example, elimin-
ating flaring of natural gas (methane) from oil exploration in developing countries
and converting it into CO
2
would qualify because methane contributes more to cli-
