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Global Climate Change Digest A Guide to Information on Greenhouse Gases and Ozone Depletion Published July 1988 through June 1999
FROM VOLUME 12, NUMBER 3, MARCH 1999
NEWS... Feature of the Month: Kyoto Protocol Update
Item #d99mar35
The
Kyoto Protocol was adopted on Dec. 12, 1997, and opened for signature from
Mar. 16, 1998, to Mar. 15, 1999. The Protocol commits developed countries
to reduce their collective emissions of six key greenhouse gases by at
least 5% by the period 2008-12. The parties to the Protocol are now
working on a two-year action plan to finalize the outstanding details. On
the closing date, 84 countries (including the European Community) had
signed the Protocol. Governments that did not sign during the signatory
period may still become Parties through the procedures of acceptance,
approval, or accession. After signing the agreement, a government must
ratify it, often with the approval of its parliament or legislature. Thus
far, seven countries, mostly small island or low-lying states which are
particularly concerned about rising sea levels, have ratified the
agreement. They are Antigua and Barbuda, El Salvador, Fiji, Maldives,
Panama, Trinidad and Tobago, and Tuvalu. The Protocol will enter into
force 90 days after it has been ratified by at least 55 Parties to the
Convention, at least 55% of which are developed countries. An up-to-date
list of signatures and ratifications can be found via the Internet at
http://www.unfccc.de.
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