Editing Kyoto Protocol (section)

=== First commitment period: 2008–2012 ===
Under the Kyoto Protocol, 37 [[industrialized countries]] and the [[European Community]] (the [[European Union]]-15, made up of 15 states at the time of the Kyoto negotiations) commit themselves to binding targets for GHG emissions.<ref name="2011 unfccc kyoto protocol overview" /> The targets apply to the four greenhouse gases [[carbon dioxide]] ({{CO2}}), [[methane]] ({{chem2|CH4}}), [[nitrous oxide]] ({{chem2|N2O}}), [[sulphur hexafluoride]] ({{chem2|SF6}}), and two groups of gases, [[hydrofluorocarbon]]s (HFCs) and [[perfluorocarbon]]s (PFCs).<ref name="grubb kyoto gases">
{{harvnb|Grubb|2003|p=147}}
</ref> The six GHG are translated into [[Co2e|CO<sub>2</sub> equivalents]] in determining reductions in emissions.<ref>The benchmark 1990 emission levels accepted by the [[United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change|Conference of the parties]] of UNFCCC (decision 2/CP.3) were the values of "[[global warming potential]]" calculated for the [[IPCC Second Assessment Report]]. These figures are used for converting the various greenhouse gas emissions into comparable [[Co2e|carbon dioxide equivalents]] (CO<sub>2</sub>-eq) when computing overall sources and sinks. Source: {{cite web |date=25 March 1998 |title=Methodological issues related to the Kyoto protocol |url=http://unfccc.int/resource/docs/cop3/07a01.pdf#page=31 |access-date=13 February 2010 |publisher=Report of the Conference of the Parties on its third session, held at Kyoto from 1 to 11 December 1997, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change |archive-date=23 August 2000 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000823193833/http://www.unfccc.int/resource/docs/cop3/07a01.pdf#page=31 |url-status=live }}</ref> These reduction targets are in addition to the industrial gases, [[chlorofluorocarbon]]s, or CFCs, which are dealt with under the 1987 [[Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer]].

Under the Protocol, only the Annex I Parties have committed themselves to national or joint reduction targets (formally called "quantified emission limitation and reduction objectives" (QELRO) – Article 4.1).<ref name="unfccc1997">{{cite press release |url=http://unfccc.int/cop3/fccc/info/indust.htm |title=Industrialized countries to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 5.2% |publisher=[[United Nations Environment Programme]] |date=11 December 1997 |access-date=6 August 2007 |archive-date=14 October 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071014231213/http://unfccc.int/cop3/fccc/info/indust.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> Parties to the Kyoto Protocol not listed in Annex I of the convention (the non-Annex I Parties) are mostly low-income developing countries,<ref name="2005 unfccc non-annex i summary" />{{Rp|4|date=November 2012}} and may participate in the Kyoto Protocol through the Clean Development Mechanism (explained below).<ref name="grubb commitments" />

The emissions limitations of Annex I Parties varies between different Parties.<ref name="2011 unfccc kyoto protocol targets">{{cite web |title=Kyoto Protocol - Targets for the first commitment period |url=https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-kyoto-protocol/what-is-the-kyoto-protocol/kyoto-protocol-targets-for-the-first-commitment-period |access-date=28 January 2019 |publisher=United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change |archive-date=26 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230926060848/https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-kyoto-protocol/what-is-the-kyoto-protocol/kyoto-protocol-targets-for-the-first-commitment-period |url-status=live }}</ref> Some Parties have emissions limitations reduce below the base year level, some have limitations at the base year level (no permitted increase above the base year level), while others have limitations above the base year level.

Emission limits do not include emissions by international aviation and shipping.<ref name="shippingandaviation">
{{citation |last=Adam |first=David |title=UK to seek pact on shipping and aviation pollution at climate talks |date=2 December 2007 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2007/dec/03/climatechange.greenpolitics |work=The Guardian}}
</ref> Although Belarus and Turkey are listed in the convention's Annex I, they do not have emissions targets as they were not Annex I Parties when the Protocol was adopted.<ref name="2011 unfccc kyoto protocol targets" /> Kazakhstan does not have a target, but has declared that it wishes to become an Annex I Party to the convention.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Proposal to amend Annexes I and II to remove the name of Turkey and to amend Annex I to add the name of Kazakhstan |url=https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-convention/history-of-the-convention/proposal-to-amend-annexes-i-and-ii-to-remove-the-name-of-turkey-and-to-amend-annex-i-to-add-the-name |access-date=2020-04-22 |website=unfccc.int |archive-date=28 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200728202017/https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-convention/history-of-the-convention/proposal-to-amend-annexes-i-and-ii-to-remove-the-name-of-turkey-and-to-amend-annex-i-to-add-the-name |url-status=live }}</ref>

{{hidden begin|title=Annex I countries under the Kyoto Protocol, their 2008–2012 commitments as % of base year, and 1990 emission levels (% of all Annex I countries)<ref name="2011 unfccc kyoto protocol targets" /><ref>{{cite web
 |date         = 12 November 2009
 |title        = Kyoto burden-sharing targets for EU-15 countries
 |publisher    = European Environment Agency (EEA)
 |url          = https://www.eea.europa.eu/data-and-maps/figures/kyoto-burden-sharing-targets-for-eu-15-countries
 |access-date  = 28 January 2019
 |archive-date = 22 December 2018
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20181222030424/https://www.eea.europa.eu//data-and-maps/figures/kyoto-burden-sharing-targets-for-eu-15-countries
 |url-status   = live
}}</ref>}}
{|
|-
| style="width:25%; vertical-align:top;"|
[[Australia]] – 108% (2.1% of 1990 emissions) <br />
[[Austria]] –  87% <br />
[[Belarus]] – 95% (subject to acceptance by other parties)<br />
[[Belgium]] – 92.5% <br />
[[Bulgaria]] – 92% (0.6%) <br />
[[Canada]] – 94% (3.33%) (withdrew) <br />
[[Croatia]] – 95% () <br />
[[Czech Republic]] – 92% (1.24%) <br />
[[Denmark]] – 79% <br />
[[Estonia]] – 92% (0.28%)
| style="width:25%; vertical-align:top;"|
[[Finland]] – 100% <br />
[[France]] – 100% <br />
[[Germany]] – 79% <br />
[[Greece]] – 125% <br />
[[Hungary]] – 94% (0.52%) <br />
[[Iceland]] – 110% (0.02%) <br />
[[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]] – 113% <br />
[[Italy]] – 93.5% <br />
[[Japan]] – 94% (8.55%) <br />
[[Latvia]] – 92% (0.17%)
| style="width:25%; vertical-align:top;"|
[[Liechtenstein]] – 92% (0.0015%) <br />
[[Lithuania]] – 92% <br />
[[Luxembourg]] – 72% <br />
[[Netherlands]] – 94% <br />
[[New Zealand]] – 100% (0.19%) <br />
[[Norway]] – 101% (0.26%) <br />
[[Poland]] – 94% (3.02%) <br />
[[Portugal]] – 92% <br />
[[Romania]] – 92% (1.24%)
| style="width:25%; vertical-align:top;"|
[[Russian Federation]] – 100% (17.4%) <br />
[[Slovakia]] – 92% (0.42%) <br />
[[Slovenia]] – 92% <br />
[[Spain]] – 115% <br />
[[Sweden]] – 104% <br />
[[Switzerland]] – 92% (0.32%) <br />
[[Ukraine]] – 100% <br />
[[United Kingdom]] – 87.5% <br />
[[United States|United States of America]] – 93% (36.1%) (non-party)
|}
{{hidden end}}

For most state parties, 1990 is the base year for the national GHG inventory and the calculation of the assigned amount.<ref name="2008 unfccc kyoto protocol reference manual">{{citation |author=United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) |title=Kyoto Protocol Reference Manual On Accounting of Emissions and Assigned Amount |url=http://unfccc.int/resource/docs/publications/08_unfccc_kp_ref_manual.pdf |page=55 |year=2008 |location=Bonn, Germany |publisher=Climate Change Secretariat (UNFCCC) |isbn=978-92-9219-055-2 |access-date=30 December 2011 |archive-date=29 April 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100429230813/http://unfccc.int/resource/docs/publications/08_unfccc_kp_ref_manual.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> However, five state parties have an alternative base year:<ref name="2008 unfccc kyoto protocol reference manual" />
* Bulgaria: 1988;
* Hungary: the average of the years 1985–1987;
* Poland: 1988;
* Romania: 1989;
* Slovenia: 1986.

Annex I Parties can use a range of sophisticated "flexibility" mechanisms (see below) to meet their targets. Annex I Parties can achieve their targets by allocating reduced annual allowances to major operators within their borders, or by allowing these operators to exceed their allocations by offsetting any excess through a mechanism that is agreed by all the parties to the UNFCCC, such as by buying [[carbon emission trading|emission allowances]] from other operators which have excess emissions credits.