The 'Kyoto Protocol' is an international treaty that commits State parties to reduction in

The Kyoto Protocol is an international treaty adopted in 1997 in Kyoto, Japan, under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) [2]. It was the first international agreement to set legally binding targets for industrialized nations to reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions [5]. The protocol operationalized the UNFCCC by committing developed countries to stabilize and cut emissions of major gases like carbon dioxide and methane [2]. Under the principle of 'common but differentiated responsibilities,' it mandated 37 industrialized nations and the European Community to reduce emissions by an average of 5 percent below 1990 levels during its first commitment period [2]. To facilitate these reductions, the protocol established market-based mechanisms such as Emissions Trading and the Clean Development Mechanism [4]. While it has been largely superseded by the Paris Agreement, it remains a landmark in global climate governance [2].

Sources

1. [1] Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 24: Climate Change Organizations > 24.2. KYOTO PROTOCOL: COp-3. > p. 324
2. [2] Contemporary World Politics, Textbook in political science for Class XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 6: Environment and Natural Resources > Common but Differentiated Responsibilities > p. 87
3. [5] https://www.un.org/fr/node/192312
4. [3] Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 24: Climate Change Organizations > Amendment of the Kyoto Protocol > p. 329
5. [4] Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 29: Environment Issues and Health Effects > Quantified Emissions Lirnitation and Reduction Commitments (QELROs) > p. 427