KYOTO PROTOCOL

KYOTO PROTOCOL TO THE UNITED NATIONS FRAMEWORK

CONVENTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE

UNITED NATIONS

1998

KYOTO PROTOCOL TO THE UNITED NATIONS FRAMEWORK

CONVENTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE

The Parties to this Protocol,

Being Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change,

hereinafter referred to as “the Convention”,

In pursuit of the ultimate objective of the Convention as stated in its Article 2,

Recalling the provisions of the Convention,

Being guided by Article 3 of the Convention,

Pursuant to the Berlin Mandate adopted by decision 1/CP.1 of the Conference of the

Parties to the Convention at its first session,

Have agreed as follows:

Article 1

For the purposes of this Protocol, the definitions contained in Article 1 of the Convention

shall apply. In addition:

1. “Conference of the Parties” means the Conference of the Parties to the Convention.

2. “Convention” means the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change,

adopted in New York on 9 May 1992.

3. “Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change” means the Intergovernmental Panel on

Climate Change established in 1988 jointly by the World Meteorological Organization and the

United Nations Environment Programme.

4. “Montreal Protocol” means the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone

Layer, adopted in Montreal on 16 September 1987 and as subsequently adjusted and amended.

5. “Parties present and voting” means Parties present and casting an affirmative or negative

vote.

6. “Party” means, unless the context otherwise indicates, a Party to this Protocol.

7. “Party included in Annex I” means a Party included in Annex I to the Convention, as

may be amended, or a Party which has made a notification under Article 4, paragraph 2 (g), of

the Convention.

Article 2

1. Each Party included in Annex I, in achieving its quantified emission limitation and

reduction commitments under Article 3, in order to promote sustainable development, shall:

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(a) Implement and/or further elaborate policies and measures in accordance with its

national circumstances, such as:

(i) Enhancement of energy efficiency in relevant sectors of the national

economy;

(ii) Protection and enhancement of sinks and reservoirs of greenhouse gases not

controlled by the Montreal Protocol, taking into account its commitments

under relevant international environmental agreements; promotion of

sustainable forest management practices, afforestation and reforestation;

(iii) Promotion of sustainable forms of agriculture in light of climate change

considerations;

(iv) Research on, and promotion, development and increased use of, new and

renewable forms of energy, of carbon dioxide sequestration technologies

and of advanced and innovative environmentally sound technologies;

(v) Progressive reduction or phasing out of market imperfections, fiscal

incentives, tax and duty exemptions and subsidies in all greenhouse gas

emitting sectors that run counter to the objective of the Convention and

application of market instruments;

(vi) Encouragement of appropriate reforms in relevant sectors aimed at

promoting policies and measures which limit or reduce emissions of

greenhouse gases not controlled by the Montreal Protocol;

(vii) Measures to limit and/or reduce emissions of greenhouse gases not

controlled by the Montreal Protocol in the transport sector;

(viii) Limitation and/or reduction of methane emissions through recovery and

use in waste management, as well as in the production, transport and

distribution of energy;

(b) Cooperate with other such Parties to enhance the individual and combined

effectiveness of their policies and measures adopted under this Article, pursuant to Article 4,

paragraph 2 (e) (i), of the Convention. To this end, these Parties shall take steps to share their

experience and exchange information on such policies and measures, including developing

ways of improving their comparability, transparency and effectiveness. The Conference of the

Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to this Protocol shall, at its first session or as soon

as practicable thereafter, consider ways to facilitate such cooperation, taking into account all

relevant information.

2. The Parties included in Annex I shall pursue limitation or reduction of emissions of

greenhouse gases not controlled by the Montreal Protocol from aviation and marine bunker fuels,

working through the International Civil Aviation Organization and the International Maritime

Organization, respectively.

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3. The Parties included in Annex I shall strive to implement policies and measures under

this Article in such a way as to minimize adverse effects, including the adverse effects of climate

change, effects on international trade, and social, environmental and economic impacts on other

Parties, especially developing country Parties and in particular those identified in Article 4,

paragraphs 8 and 9, of the Convention, taking into account Article 3 of the Convention. The

Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to this Protocol may take further

action, as appropriate, to promote the implementation of the provisions of this paragraph.

4. The Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to this Protocol,

if it decides that it would be beneficial to coordinate any of the policies and measures in

paragraph 1 (a) above, taking into account different national circumstances and potential effects,

shall consider ways and means to elaborate the coordination of such policies and measures.

Article 3

1. The Parties included in Annex I shall, individually or jointly, ensure that their aggregate

anthropogenic carbon dioxide equivalent emissions of the greenhouse gases listed in Annex A

do not exceed their assigned amounts, calculated pursuant to their quantified emission limitation

and reduction commitments inscribed in Annex B and in accordance with the provisions of this

Article, with a view to reducing their overall emissions of such gases by at least 5 per cent

below 1990 levels in the commitment period 2008 to 2012.

2. Each Party included in Annex I shall, by 2005, have made demonstrable progress in

achieving its commitments under this Protocol.

3. The net changes in greenhouse gas emissions by sources and removals by sinks resulting

from direct human-induced land-use change and forestry activities, limited to afforestation,

reforestation and deforestation since 1990, measured as verifiable changes in carbon stocks in

each commitment period, shall be used to meet the commitments under this Article of each Party

included in Annex I. The greenhouse gas emissions by sources and removals by sinks associated

with those activities shall be reported in a transparent and verifiable manner and reviewed in

accordance with Articles 7 and 8.

4. Prior to the first session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the

Parties to this Protocol, each Party included in Annex I shall provide, for consideration by the

Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice, data to establish its level of carbon

stocks in 1990 and to enable an estimate to be made of its changes in carbon stocks in

subsequent years. The Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to this

Protocol shall, at its first session or as soon as practicable thereafter, decide upon modalities,

rules and guidelines as to how, and which, additional human-induced activities related to

changes in greenhouse gas emissions by sources and removals by sinks in the agricultural soils

and the land-use change and forestry categories shall be added to, or subtracted from, the

assigned amounts for Parties included in Annex I, taking into account uncertainties, transparency

in reporting, verifiability, the methodological work of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate

Change, the advice provided by the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice in

accordance with Article 5 and the decisions of the Conference of the Parties. Such a decision

shall apply in the second and subsequent commitment periods. A Party may choose to apply

such a decision on these additional human-induced activities for its first commitment period,

provided that these activities have taken place since 1990.

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5. The Parties included in Annex I undergoing the process of transition to a market

economy whose base year or period was established pursuant to decision 9/CP.2 of the

Conference of the Parties at its second session shall use that base year or period for the

implementation of their commitments under this Article. Any other Party included in Annex I

undergoing the process of transition to a market economy which has not yet submitted its first

national communication under Article 12 of the Convention may also notify the Conference

of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to

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