Kyoto Protocol

Kyoto Protocol is an international agreement that, as an extension of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), imposes legally binding targets on industrialized countries to limit and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The Protocol was adopted at the third Conference of the Parties (COP3) to the UNFCCC in December 1997 in Kyoto Japan and entered into force on 16 February 2005 after the required ratification conditions were met. This agreement is the first international treaty to establish quantified emission reduction targets for Annex-I parties.

Structure and Key Provisions of the Protocol

The legal framework of the Protocol consists of articles defining the obligations of parties, implementation mechanisms, and monitoring processes.

Core Obligations and Policies

• Article 2: Outlines the policies and measures that Annex-I parties must implement at the national level to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote sustainable development. These measures include increasing energy efficiency, adopting sustainable forest management practices, promoting sustainable agriculture, and developing renewable energy sources.

• Article 3: This foundational article requires Annex-I parties to reduce their collective emissions of greenhouse gases listed in Annex A to levels specified in Annex B during the first commitment period (2008–2012). This target generally entails reducing emissions to at least 5 percent below 1990 levels.

• Article 4: Allows parties to meet their obligations jointly as a group, such as the European Union.

Flexibility Mechanisms

The Protocol provides three flexibility mechanisms to help parties achieve their targets in a cost-effective manner:

• Article 6 – Joint Implementation: Enables an Annex-I party to earn “emission reduction units” by implementing an emission reduction project in another Annex-I country and using these units to meet its own commitments.

• Article 12 – Clean Development Mechanism (CDM): Allows an Annex-I party to obtain “certified emission reductions” by undertaking sustainable development projects in non-Annex-I countries, typically developing nations. This mechanism also aims to support sustainable development in developing countries.

• Article 17 – Emissions Trading: Permits Annex-B parties to buy and sell emission allowances among themselves, while stipulating that such trading must complement domestic actions.

Implementation, Monitoring and Enforcement

• Articles 5, 7 and 8: Establish the methodological framework for estimating and reporting emissions (Article 5), specify the information parties must submit (Article 7), and define how expert teams review this information (Article 8).

• Article 18: Provides for the establishment of compliance mechanisms with binding consequences in the event that parties fail to meet their obligations.

Commitment Periods and Protocol Annexes

The Protocol has two commitment periods:

1. First Commitment Period (2008–2012): During this period, Annex-I countries were required to reduce their collective emissions by at least 5 percent below 1990 levels.
2. Second Commitment Period (2013–2020): Established by the Doha Amendment, this period required participating parties to reduce their emissions by at least 18 percent below 1990 levels. However, some countries including Japan, the Russian Federation, Canada and New Zealand did not assume commitments under the second period.

The Protocol’s specific obligations are detailed in its annexes:

Annex A

This annex lists the greenhouse gases subject to control under the Protocol and the sectors from which their emissions must be reported.

• Greenhouse Gases: Carbon dioxide (CO₂), Methane (CH₄), Nitrous oxide (N₂O), Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), Perfluorocarbons (PFCs), Sulfur hexafluoride (SF₆).
• Sectors: Energy, industrial processes, agriculture and waste.

Annex B

This annex identifies which developed countries listed in Annex I of the UNFCCC have undertaken quantified emission reduction or limitation commitments under the Protocol and specifies the corresponding reduction targets.

Türkiye’s Status

Türkiye formally became a party to the Kyoto Protocol on 26 August 2009. However, since Türkiye was not yet a party to the UNFCCC when the Protocol was established in 1997, it was not included in Annex B, which lists the countries with quantified emission reduction obligations. Consequently, Türkiye has no quantified emission reduction or limitation commitment under the Kyoto Protocol.

Development and Completion of the Protocol

The detailed implementation rules of the Protocol were finalized through the “Marrakech Accords,” adopted at the seventh Conference of the Parties in Marrakech in 2001. The Bali Conference in 2007 initiated the process of establishing an international climate regime beyond 2012. The Doha Amendment, which established the second commitment period, entered into force on 31 December 2020. However, with the entry into force of the Paris Agreement, which governs the post-2020 climate regime, the Kyoto Protocol has fulfilled its role as an operational instrument.