Climate conventions, protocols, directives

The Climate Convention was adopted in 1992 (Montreal). Then we had the Kyoto protocol, adopted in 1997, taking effect in 2005 limiting emissions and setting emission numbers for individual countries. Countries will be cutting their own emissions.

3 mechanisms were established to help obtain more reductions:

1. Trading quotas between rich countries

2. Paying for emissions in other countries and in return being able to increase your own emissions

3. Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) where rich countries can buy rights to increase their own emissions by paying for reductions in poor countries. The measures must foster a sustainable development in the host country.

A new conference will be held in Copenhagen in 2009.

The practical realities are dawning on the various countries. The present (2008) financial crisis will slow down adoption of further measures. 

In the EU a quota directive states that the power producers have to pay their own quotas from 2013, excluding some industries. Carbon-leakage is feared, meaning tmovement of companies to “cheaper” countries. A political battle is under way. The present large users of coal are running scared!

The EU has 4 climate directives: quota trade, renewable energy, CO2 handling, biofuel.

The Norwegian Government has just postponed its own “Energy Proposition” (2008)

Del på FaceBookDel på Nettby Post til Twitter

Leave a Reply