The Paris Agreement and the Kyoto Protocol are two important international treaties that deal with global warming and climate change. Both treaties aim to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases and limit the increase in the average global temperature. Despite having the same objective, there are significant differences between the two agreements. In this article, we will discuss the Paris Agreement and Kyoto Protocol difference.
The Kyoto Protocol
The Kyoto Protocol is an international treaty that was adopted in 1997 and came into force in 2005. The treaty aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in industrialized countries. The agreement requires these countries to reduce their emissions by an average of 5.2% below their 1990 levels by 2012. The protocol includes a list of six greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide, which are responsible for global warming.
Under the Kyoto Protocol, industrialized countries are assigned specific targets to reduce their emissions. The protocol includes a number of flexible mechanisms to help countries meet their targets. These mechanisms include emissions trading, joint implementation, and the clean development mechanism.
The Paris Agreement
The Paris Agreement is a more recent international treaty that was adopted in 2015. The agreement aims to limit the increase in the average global temperature to well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius. The Paris Agreement is a more ambitious treaty than the Kyoto Protocol in terms of its goals.
One of the key Paris Agreement and Kyoto Protocol differences is that the Paris Agreement includes all countries, not just industrialized countries. This means that developing countries are also required to take responsibility for reducing their emissions. The Paris Agreement encourages countries to submit their own targets for reducing their emissions, rather than assigning targets to individual countries as the Kyoto Protocol did.
The Paris Agreement also includes a framework for countries to regularly report on their progress in reducing emissions. The agreement provides for a mechanism for countries to review and increase their targets every five years.
Conclusion
In summary, the Kyoto Protocol and Paris Agreement both aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and limit the increase in the average global temperature. However, there are significant Paris Agreement and Kyoto Protocol differences. The Kyoto Protocol focused on reducing emissions in industrialized countries, while the Paris Agreement includes all countries and encourages them to submit their own targets for reducing emissions. The Paris Agreement is also more ambitious in terms of its goals and includes a framework for regular reporting and review of progress. As the world continues to grapple with climate change, it is essential to implement policies and agreements that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and limit the impact of global warming.