This is an amendment to the international treaty on climate change that took place in Kyoto, Japan in 1997.
The 40 developed countries, plus the “European Communiity”, that ratified the protocol agreed to reduce their collective emissions of carbon dioxide and five other greenhouse gases by at least 5% (the “Annex 1 Parties to the Convention”).
This was to be achieved by the period 2008-2012.
By mid 2007 the protocol also included 149 less-developed countries who have no emission reduction obligations.
The Kyoto Protocol entered into force in February 2005 when it was ratified, as required, by “at least 55 parties to the convention”.
