The Kyoto Protocol is the first step by the international community along the road to a comprehensive global framework to solve climate change. A number of people have perpetuated myths about the Kyoto Protocol, and this website hopes to clarify these.

MYTH: India and China are left out of the Kyoto Protocol.

India and China have ratified the Kyoto protocol and are participating in over $5 billion worth of CDM projects (link to CDM section) for emissions reductions projects through the Kyoto Protocol’s carbon trading program. The Clean Development Mechanism is expected to deliver $130 billion annually in emissions reduction projects in developing countries.

The Stern Review recently stated that effective international action on climate required that a global price for carbon price to be set. The Kyoto Protocol extends carbon trading and so could give carbon a price in countries that produce 55% of global greenhouse emissions.

Discussions for commitments by large developing countries emitters such as India and China are occurring within the Kyoto Protocol negotiations for the post 2012 phase. The USA and Australia, as non members of the Kyoto Protocol can only participate as observers.

MYTH: Many countries that have ratified Kyoto will not meet their targets.

Emissions trading is central to the Kyoto Protocol. If all countries met their Kyoto targets domestically there would be very little carbon trading. Carbon trading enables pollution reductions to be undertaken in the country where they can be achieved for the least cost. Countries can institute projects in other countries to reduce emissions. The financing country can then claim those emissions reductions towards meeting their own Kyoto pollution reduction target.

The first Kyoto commitment period is from 2008 to 2012, therefore countries have until 2012 to acquit their Kyoto targets (and can choose to do so by emissions trading).