Continuing Kyoto

Description:
The Kyoto Protocol provides a very flexible structure, which could incorporate many of the approaches described on this page. For example, the converging per capita emissions or intensity targets could be included in a second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol. So essentially most other approaches could be called “Continuing Kyoto”.

When referring to “Continuing Kyoto” or “increasing participation”, often the key features of the Kyoto Protocol are meant, which include:

• Maintaining two groups of countries, Annex I and Non-Annex I, assuming that gradually countries move into Annex I
  
• Binding absolute emissions reduction targets for Annex I countries for a basket of greenhouse gases
  
• Flexibility through Kyoto Mechanisms, such as emissions trading (ET), Joint Implementation (JI) and the Clean Development mechanism (CDM)
  

Some also refer to a "Kyoto Plus" approach, where the main features are kept and only minor additional changes are made. Intensity targets instead of absolute targets or other minor adjustments such as "price caps" or only "positively binding targets" can be introduced as an interim measure for some or all developing countries.

The critical issue of this approach is to ensure that Annex I countries commit to sufficiently stringent targets and that some further countries move into Annex I.

Further research:
World Resources Institute

Back to the list of approaches