Global Environmental Agreements: Agenda 21, Kyoto, and Bali

Agenda 21: Blueprint for Sustainable Development

Agenda 21 is an action plan that seeks to create a model of sustainable development worldwide. It was adopted at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. What is most striking in this plan is Chapter 28, which emphasizes the responsibilities of cities to achieve change on environmental issues and proposes that they develop their own local environmental agendas and plans.

Kyoto Protocol: Combating Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Objective and Target Gases

The Kyoto Protocol's objective is to stop the greenhouse effect by reducing emissions of specific gases:

• Carbon dioxide
• Methane
• Nitrous oxide
• Hydrofluorocarbons
• Perfluorocarbons
• Sulfur hexafluoride

Key Measures and Cooperation

Key measures include:

• Strengthening national policies and achieving initial emission reductions through energy efficiency.
• Supporting sustainable agriculture and fostering the development of renewable energy sources.
• Cooperating with signatory nations through information exchange, experience sharing, and coordination of national policies and cooperation mechanisms to achieve greater efficiency.

Notably, China and India, two of the most industrialized and polluting countries, have ratified the protocol.

Bali Climate Change Summit 2007: Post-Kyoto Path

Key Outcomes and Commitments

The Bali Summit took place in December 2007, bringing together representatives from 190 countries to seek a new climate change protocol to replace the Kyoto Protocol when it expired in 2012.

The United States, the world's top emitter of carbon dioxide and the only country that had not yet ratified the Kyoto Protocol, committed to reducing its emissions and being subject to the mandate of the United Nations (a commitment it had not made before).

However, the agreed goals were vague and unambitious, including only general principles to guide the fight against climate change until the adoption of a new document.

Emission Reduction Targets Debate

The U.S. called for setting specific targets for carbon dioxide reduction by industrialized countries, emphasizing the "urgent" need for international action in this field. In contrast, the EU and many developing countries advocated for the text to include emission reduction targets of 25% to 40% by 2020 (compared to 1990 levels) for industrialized nations. China, India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, however, insisted that any participation by developing countries in emission reduction efforts must be "quantifiable, measurable, and verifiable."

Ultimately, the principle of financial aid was maintained, with the stipulation that it would be "verifiable, quantifiable, and measurable."