The EU Legal Frameworks - The Sustainability of Renewable Energy in Europe - page 26

The moment of entry into force of the Kyoto Protocol was defined by the treaty,
that is, when at least 55 countries, including the parties included in Annex I in which
the total CO 2 emissions account for 55 % of total emissions in 1990, had deposited
their instruments of ratification, approval, acceptance, and accession.
In the fall of 2004, Russia voted in favor of the Kyoto Protocol, thus allowing the
entry into force of the protocol 3 months later, on 16 February 2005. Even Australia,
with the COP13 in Bali in December 2007, ratified the Kyoto Protocol. Currently,
184 nations have signed the Kyoto Protocol. As important is that the USA, despite
being signatories to the treaty, has not yet ratified the same. The Kyoto Protocol
establishes clear and specific commitments regarding the limitation of emissions of
GHG emissions for the Annex I parties of the UNFCCC.
The gases considered primarily responsible for the greenhouse effect and refer-
enced by the Kyoto Protocol are four:
• CO 2 , it is the best known among polluting gases, and it is responsible for 70 %
of the greenhouse effect. During the industrial revolution, its concentration has
increased by about 30 %, particularly in the Northern Hemisphere. It is produced
from natural sources as in the case of the decomposition of plants and volcanic
eruptions, and it is partially removed by water and the plants themselves, by
means of photosynthesis; it remains in the atmosphere for about a 100 years. In
addition, it is also produced by activities such as the use of means of transporta-
tion, home heating, electricity production, during which high amounts of fossil
fuels are burned. To such emissions, it adds the effect of deforestation, which
causes the release of CO 2 and reduces the surface absorption forest.
• Methane, it is less present than CO 2 and is responsible for 20 % of the green-
house effect. It is mainly produced during the decomposition of organic materi-
als, from dumps and from the biological activity of the animals. It remains in the
atmosphere for about 11-12 years.
• Hydrofluorocarbons, their concentration is very low, but their ability to retain
heat is from 3000 to 13,000 times higher than that of CO 2 ; they remain in the
atmosphere for up to 400 years.
• Nitrous oxide, it is present in very small part, but it is almost 300 times more
potent than CO 2 in retaining heat. It is derived primarily from microbiological
processes of nitrification and denitrification, and it is partially absorbed by the
oceans.
The objectives set for each country can be found in Kyoto Protocol's Annex B.
After the signing of the Kyoto Protocol in 1997, it was thought that Annex I parties
would immediately have defined and implemented policies aimed at the progres-
sive reduction of emissions to the 2010 targets. Meanwhile, the period has passed
without any significant progress in reducing emissions. Even in countries such as
Germany and the UK, where there have been reductions in CO 2 emissions, it was
mainly due to economic reasons instead of a careful government's planning.
The protocol requires all Annex I parties to implement policies to improve en-
ergy efficiency, as well as reducing emissions. It is also necessary to adequately
respond to climate change with appropriate technologies, such as energy efficiency
and RES production.