Fact file on climate change

Date: 29/10/1998

THE problem of global warming was first addressed on an international scale at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Those talks culminated in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. This was strengthened last December when marathon negotiations in Kyoto, Japan, produced the Kyoto Protocol, which sets out specific greenhouse gas reduction targets for signatories. In June this year, EU environment ministers agreed, after an all-night session, on the emissions cuts each member state must make in order to reach the Union's overall Kyoto commitments.

Main points of the 1992 convention:

Signatories set themselves the ultimate objective of stabilising greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere to prevent “dangerous anthropogenic (human-induced) interference with the climate system”.

They agreed to take measures to achieve this “within a time frame sufficient to allow ecosystems to adapt naturally to climate change, to ensure food production is not threatened and to enable economic development to proceed in a sustainable manner”.

The deal sets out a framework for agreeing how such actions should be implemented in the future.

Signatory states agreed to take the problem of climate change into account when drawing up policies in areas such as agriculture, energy production and the protection of natural habitats.

It was also agreed that the brunt of the cost for tackling global climate change should be borne by the world's richest nations.

Main points of the December 1997 Kyoto Protocol: The industrialised world agreed to cut its aggregate emissions of six greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons and sulphur hexafluoride) to 5.2&percent; below 1990 levels over the period between 2008 and 2012.

This overall cut was divided into different targets for different countries. The EU, Switzerland and some central and eastern European states must make an 8&percent; reduction.

The US has to achieve a 7&percent; cut while Canada, Japan and Poland were set a 6&percent; target. Russia, New Zealand and Ukraine must stabilise their emissions, while Norway can increase its production by 1&percent;, Australia by 8&percent; and Iceland by 10&percent;.

EU member states can reach the Union's overall target by agreeing on individual national cuts.

The developing world is not required to reduce greenhouse gas emissions straight away.

Carbon dioxide absorbed by natural 'sinks' such as forests will be counted in overall reduction targets.

An international 'emissions trading' system will be set up allowing industrialised countries to buy and sell excess emissions credits amongst themselves.

The Kyoto 'burden share' deal agreed by EU governments in June 1998:

Belgium -7.5&percent;

Denmark -21&percent;

Germany -21&percent;

Greece +25&percent;

Spain +15&percent;

France 0&percent;

Ireland +13&percent;

Italy -6.5&percent;

Luxembourg -28&percent;

Netherlands -6&percent;

Austria -13&percent;

Portugal +27&percent;

Finland 0&percent;

Sweden +4&percent;

United Kingdom -12.5&percent;

Note: Greece, Spain, Ireland, Portugal and Sweden will all be allowed to increase their greenhouse gas emissions.