International+Efforts+to+combat+Global+Warming

It's not called Global Warming for no reason. Global Warming, if science is correct, is an issue that spans the entire planet, and not just the United States, and, should it advance further, will have drastic effects on the entire world. As such, there have been various international efforts over the years to combat the ever-rising issue of the climate change, and the following are a few of the most notable, where nations have banded together against one foe...


 * __Examples of International Efforts to Combat Global Warming!__ **

Kyoto Protocols
**Map illustration participation in the agreement, as of 2009.** This protocol originated in Japan on December 11th, 1997, though it took until 2005 for it to really roll into effect, having undergone several changes since it's inception. To date, 187 states/nations have signed and ratified the agreement, but the United States has withdrawn from ratifying it thus far. There are five basic principles to the Kyoto Protocol, which are to greatly reduce greenhouse gases,produce quality policies to meet such goals, accounting and reporting to ensure the validity and preserve the integrity of the protocol, and establishing a compliance committee to enforce the protocol. The Kyoto Protocol sets boundaries on about 40 industrialized nations, which, in turn, will hopefully reduce the amount of greenhouse gases and, subsuquently, improvement on the global warming front. The required reduction of greenhouse gases varies from nation to nation. The agreement also calls for billions of dollars to be spent on prevention and research, and calls for an increase in emissions trading to also try and curb the issue of global warming. Whether or not the protocol will have a long-standing efffect against the climate change has yet to be determined, as reports over the years have varied, though it never had 100% support behind it. Many people consider the protocol to have had no effect at all, and hope that the world will turn to another idea instead. Though it has faced criticism, legislation continues to be passed enforcing and building upon the protocols.

United Nations - United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
**The UN meeting room.** The United Nations has been one of the greatest opposers of global warming, since it became a more prevalent issue. At the Earth Summit, held in Rio de Janiero in 1992, the UNFCCC was created and agreed upon as an environmental treaty which woud aim to reduce the levels of greenhouse gases. It is largely similar to the Kyoto Protocols, and though it came before it, it is considered a more acceptable piece of legislation given that it does not set binding targets on any countries - in fact, this agreement is particularly notable in that it //does not// set mandatory restrictions or limits on emissions for any given country - making it far less binding than it's successors. Now at a total of 192 parties, the UNFCCC is more or less just a general agreement to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases, and, subsuquently, hopefully spark a decrease in the danger and looming threat of global warming. Lesser-developed countries are not required to reduce their levels of greenhouse gas emissions, unless they recieve the proper funding from more advanced countries. The UNFCCC is more like general framework for future global warming legislation...it lays out the basis, and leaves room for improvement and additions, much like the Kyoto Protocols after it. It is like the fuel for the fire, setting an outline and hoping that a more detailed plan will follow, as research and scientific proof continue to emerge. Like the Kyoto Protocols, which is very similar, it continues to be updated as more meetings are held.

Copenhagen Summit (Copenhagen Accord)
**Symbol for the conference.** Also known as the 2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference, the Copenhagen Summit was originally supposed to decide on global warming related legislation past 2012, as stated in previous conferences and agreements. Held in Copenhagen, Denmark, this summit was mainly designed to enforce the agreed upon, but not fully ratified, Kyoto Protocols. As a result of this meeting to discuss the future of global warming, among other issues, the Copenhagen Accord was drafted. The accord not only agrees to back what was originally stated in the Kyoto Protocols, but also places emphasis on the futur (past 2012) of the gobal warming issue, how to reduce greehouse gas emissions and such, and also focuses on helping the lesser developed countries with their financial costs to meet efficiency and lower emission goals. Additionally, the accord requires that countries submit their greenhouse gas emission reduction goals, and also required that countries commit to meet those goals regardless of the cost. Overall, it was just an updated Kyoto Protocol, and only an agreement rather than officially passed legislation, but reception to the accord was mixed - some felt happy with it, while other countries, such as Great Britain, felt that it was lacking and more would need to be added in the future as problems continue to rise. Though the Accord did lay groundwork for funding (specifically, more developed countries allocating funds to the lesser developed) and beefed up a few agreements that had already been met, the lack of urgent action or wide-spread coverage was noted as well. It was more or less agreed upon that the accord was a step in the right direction, but the road ahead is still long and tiresome. The Accord laid out the basis for what 'should be,' but whether ot not it actually comes into fruition has yet to be determined, as much of the Copenhagen Accord focuses on the future of goal warmig egislaton thrghout the world, rather than the present, as it deals with setting goals and committing to them rather than actual action.

Copenhagen Accord (International Climate Change Agreement): China
Though in recent years several countries have made efforts to combat global warming as an issue that affects the entire world, some counties have struggled. In the past, China has resisted caps on it's energy emissions, citing that large and developed countries have a harder battle to fight to reduce their high consumption of energy and fossil fuels. But, China's constant battle with high energy consumption and lack of energy efficiency has become an alarming issue. In March, both China and India agreed to join the international climate change agreement, joining 107 other countries, Coal-fired electricity and oil sales soared 24% this past quarter, despite China's efforts to decrease the constantly rising consumption, and high levels of pollution, which greatly affect the global warming issue. China remains the country with the highest greenhouse gas emission levels, and it's struggle to meet international goals is alarming to China, as well as other countries mired in the fight to combat global warming. Regardless of the difficulties they have encountered, China's premier Wen Jiabao and President Hu Jintao have promised that China will decrease it's consumption and increase energy efficiency by the year 2020, hopefully resulting in less emission of greenhouse gases. However, it appears as if they've already failed to meet their 5 year plan, which extended from 2006-2010. It's goals for 2020, specifically, are to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases by 40-45%.
 * [[image:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1e/Coal_Bike%2C_China_1997.jpg width="355" height="217"]]An old-school coal bike. **

Copenhagen Accord (International Climate Change Agreement): Misc. Countries
**Our world, overall, is heavily involved in the fight against global warming.** Although China has struggled somewhat with it's global warming reduction goals, it is not the only country that has taken on a hefty burden to meet. Other countries, many of which have been involved with the global warming legislation and organizations since the Kyoto Protocols, have also set goals for themselves for increased efficiency and a reduction in the emission of greenhouse gases. Some have set wide-spread goals, such as Mexico's broad scheme of reducing emissions 50% by the distant year of 2050. As this is a far-reaching promise, the goal seems like a lighter burden because it is 40 years in the future, and easy to disregard. Closer goals have been set bu countries such as Switzerland and Ukraine, who merely hope to reduce emissions by 20% below 1990 levels, by the year 2020, which is only 10 years in the future and, thus, brings a bit more urgency to the matter. Most countries involved in the world-sweeping global warming legislation have set standards and marks to meet in the future, and restrictions that they hope can be met currently - however, it differs from country to country, and goals differ between them depending on how large the issue of global warming and greenhouse gas levels are within a certain country - hence why China struggles a bit more than others, and might have a more difficult time reaching it's goal.