On 16 February, 2005, the international climate agreement, Kyoto Protocol, became law, laying the ground for the international community to combat climate change.

The Kyoto Protocol is only legally binding international agreement that addresses the problem of global climate change. It sets up a framework for global reductions in greenhouse gas emissions that can be applied for decades to come.

Kyoto negotiations continue. In December 2007, leaders met in Bali to negotiate the next round of emissions reduction targets. At the meeting, Australia's new Labor government ratified the Kyoto Protocol.

What happened at the Bali UN Climate Conference 2007

The Kyoto Protocol

Governments worldwide agreed in 1992 to reduce global greenhouse emissions and prevent dangerous climate change. Talks stemming from the UN Climate Convention led to the development of the Kyoto Protocol.

At the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, governments worldwide signed the Framework Convention on Climate Change, agreeing to reduce their emissions. After five years putting the aims of the Framework Convention into effect, the Kyoto Protocol on climate change was agreed in Kyoto, Japan. Australia initially joined many others in signing the Protocol.

The first phase of the Protocol requires developed nations to cut their emissions by a total of 5.2 per cent of 1990 levels by 2012, a small step to prevent climate change but a vital first step. Negotiations for future periods, like those in Bali in 2007, should lead to deeper cuts.

Who has ratified the treaty?

To ratify the Kyoto Protocol, a country must sign the treaty and make it part of their domestic law. As of November 2007, 174 parties (countries, states, etc) have ratified the treaty, including Australia, all 15 countries of the European Union (UK, Germany, France and others), Japan, Russia, Canada and New Zealand.

Who hasn't?

US President George Bush refused to ratify the Kyoto Protocol. ExxonMobil and other fossil fuel corporations wield enormous influence over him and have undermined international climate change negotiations. George Bush claims he wants to lead the world on climate change but he's really being led by ExxonMobil.

Developed vs developing nations

The Kyoto Protocol recognises that developed (industrialised) countries are most responsible for climate change and that they have the financial and technical resources to reduce their emissions more than developing countries. That's why the treaty does not require developing countries to cut their emissions initially, although it does encourage them to work towards emissions reductions. They will negotiate binding targets at a later date.

While some developing countries, like China and India, have total emissions higher than Australia's, their populations are also far higher. Measured on per capita emissions, there is no comparison: one person in Australia generates the same amount of greenhouse emissions as 20 people in India and 10 people in China.

Kyoto Plus

The Kyoto process is an ongoing process of international negotation, which is sometimes referred to as Kyoto Plus. The parties to the Protocol meet annually at a "Conference of the Parties" (COP). The Bali meeting in December 2007 was the 13th COP. At this meeting, actions for the second committment period for the Kyoto Protocol, 2012-2020, were discussed.