Australia and the Kyoto Protocol
On 11 March 2008, Australia’s official commitment to the conditions of the Kyoto Protocol came into force. This historical event signifies 90 days since Kevin Rudd ratified the Protocol as one of his first acts as the new Australian prime minister. The Protocol was first formulated and adopted in December 1997 – and after 10 years Australia has finally caught up to the rest of the world.
Australia’s commitment to the Protocol involves working towards an annual emissions target of 108 per cent of 1990 levels. The government has also agreed to make sure that by the year 2020, at least 20% of our electricity is generated from renewable resources such as wind and solar power.
The Kyoto Protocol also requires countries to submit annual reports which detail the progress of the climate change targets. Australia submitted their first report 365 before its deadline. After all of John Howard’s messing around at the back of the international classroom, it seems like Kevin Rudd is going for the UN teacher’s pet award.
What is the Kyoto Protocol?
The Kyoto Protocol is an international treaty—a formal agreement between countries—on global warming and greenhouse emissions. As of September 2008, the treaty has been signed and ratified by 178 states. It sets a target for reducing the global greenhouse gas emissions recorded in 1990 by 5.2% between 2008 and 2012. It is important to remember that the Protocol is not meant to solve global warming; it is designed to be the global community’s first united step in addressing the problem.
The Protocol requires that all countries who have agreed to it (called signatories) share the responsibility of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. However, each country has a different share of the duty depending on how much it has contributed to the problem. A country’s share is worked out by taking into account the amount of greenhouse gas it produces per person, as well as its social and development needs.
The Protocol uses an emissions trading system to reduce overall greenhouse gas pollution. This involves countries buying and selling units of pollution so they can reduce their emissions in the most economical way. For example, a country that produces a lot of ‘clean’ energy can sell its extra pollution units to other countries which are finding hard to reduce their pollution output. The emissions trading system means that industries have good reason to adopt increasingly clean energy—not only can they can reduce their costs but they can sell their excess units to heavier polluters.
The UN Climate Conference
While it’s all well and good that Australia is on board the Kyoto climate change train, it’s a bit worrying that the train makes its final stop in 2012 – less than four years away. In order to establish a long term plan for the international community, the UN sponsored a climate change conference in Bali, Indonesia in December 2007. Delegates from 180 countries gathered to negotiate the future of the world’s climate. As you can imagine, not everyone was speaking the same language.
The European Union (EU), backed up by a majority of countries, wanted to work towards an emissions reduction of 40% for rich countries (increased from 25%). The proposal was blocked by the USA, Canada and Russia.
After two weeks of talking, arguing, agreeing and complaining, the UN presented the world with the ‘Bali Road Map’. This document marks a course for a new negotiating process to tackle climate change. Amongst other things, the road map states that a new international plan must be finalised by 2009, so that there is no gap between the end of the Kyoto Protocol and the start of new targets for climate change.
The conference also discussed the need to design different commitments for developed and developing countries.
Does everyone have to agree?
International decision making may be painstaking and difficult, but right now it is the only widely accepted solution to the global issue of climate change. Critics of the Kyoto Protocol want a more flexible and less costly solution to the global warming situation. Supporters argue that the costs of reducing emissions will far outweigh the damage that would otherwise occur; therefore emissions should be reduced as soon as possible. Debate continues because it is difficult to predict just how much damage global warming and climate change will cause, and how much it will cost nations to conform to the Protocol.
Despite many different opinions on who should do it, when we should do it and how we should do it – the world has come to a point where most nations agree that climate change should be at the top of the international agenda as we enter into the 21st century.
This page was updated by kate elise
How do I know this?
Australian Government: Department of Climate Change ‘Media Release: Kyoto Protocol’ (11 March 2008)
http://www.climatechange.gov.au/international/kyoto/index.html
Australian Government Department of Environment and Heritage, Kyoto Protocol,
http://www.greenhouse.gov.au/international/kyoto/index.html
Beder, S 1999, ‘Emissions trading—a vehicle for achieving greenhouse targets’, Engineers Australia, August,
http://www.uow.edu.au/arts/sts/sbeder/trading.html
CBC News 2006, ‘Kyoto Protocol FAQs’, CBC News, 19 October
http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/kyoto/
Indymedia Climate 2006, Australia's bluff called in Nairobi: produce 'new Kyoto' text,
http://www.climateimc.org/?q=node/2128
Kihaule, Emmanuel ‘An overview of the Bali Climate Change Conference’ IPP Media
http://www.ippmedia.com/ipp/guardian/2007/12/21/104709.html
Kuper, A 2005, Global responsibilities, Routledge, USA
Makin, L 2007, ‘Mass concern at climate change’, News.com.au,
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,21069008-2,00.html?from=public_rss
Official website of the Australian Labor Party, ‘Ratifying the Kyoto Protocol’ (3 December 2007)
http://www.alp.org.au/media/1207/mspm030.php
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
http://unfccc.int/2860.php
