The Kyoto Protocol, a milestone in the implementation of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), was signed at the Third Conference of the Parties (COP 3) in Kyoto on 11 December 1997, and entered into force in 2005. The protocol included legally binding greenhouse gas emissions limits and reduction commitments for industrial states. So far, 192 states have signed and ratified the protocol. The United States has signed, but not ratified, the document.
At the COP 15 in Copenhagen in 2009, international representatives failed to reach a binding agreement to extend the Kyoto Protocol commitments beyond 2012. Negotiations are still pending.
Themes:
Further Readings:
- Grubb, Michael. The Kyoto Protocol: A Guide and Assessment. With Christiaan Vrolijk, and Duncan Brack. London: Royal Institute of International Affairs, Earthscan, 1999.
Day:
11
Month:
12
Year:
1997