In December 2012, at the end of the protocol`s first commitment period, the parties to the Kyoto Protocol met in Doha, Qatar, to adopt an amendment to the original Kyoto agreement. This Doha amendment added new emission reduction targets for the second commitment period 2012-2020 for participating countries. The Doha amendment had a short life. At the 2015 Paris Summit on Sustainable Development, all participants in the UNFCCC signed another pact, the Paris Climate Agreement, which effectively replaced the Kyoto Protocol. Although the Paris Agreement is not perfect, it is important because it is the first major climate agreement of its kind and is a global step towards solving a problem that is affected strongly by the whole world. The Paris agreement is a historic first step, but it cannot be the last. The Kyoto Protocol called for industrialized countries to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions at a time when the threat of global warming was growing rapidly. The protocol was linked to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). On 16 February 2005, it was adopted in Kyoto (90) and entered international law on 16 February 2005. The importance of the U.S.
decision to leave the Paris Agreement should not be underestimated, especially since the United States is the world`s second largest emitter of greenhouse gases. The country`s promised emission reductions accounted for about 20% of the global reductions under the Paris Agreement. Yet, even with the promise made by the United States in 2015, the country did not seem on track to limit global warming to a level well below 2 degrees Celsius. At the current rate, the United States could contribute to a considerably warmer planet. On 12 December 2015, 195 governments in Paris approved the text of the world`s largest climate agreement in history. The international agreement, known as the Paris Agreement, requires almost every country in the world to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in order to limit the dangerous effects of climate change. The protocol divided countries into two groups: Schedule I included industrialized and non-annex I developing countries. Emission limits have only been set for Schedule I countries. Non-Schedule I countries could invest in projects to reduce emissions in their countries.
For these projects, developing countries received emission credits that they could sell or sell to developed countries, allowing developing countries to increase their CO2 emissions during this period. This has allowed developed countries to continue to emit greenhouse gases. Where India sets the tone for responsible climate policy, Russia does the opposite. It took Russia four years to obtain internal approval of the Paris Agreement, also known as ratification. Meanwhile, the Russian head of state has reversed climate change in recent years. In 2015, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that “the quality of life of all the people of the planet depends on solving the climate problem.” Two years later, however, the Russian president took a different position, challenging the important role played by man in contributing to climate change. As a result of this shift in view, no real progress has been made towards responsible climate policy in Russia, and Russia`s commitments are either vague or weak and ultimately unlikely to significantly reduce its emissions. But the Paris agreement revolutionized climate policy by changing the negotiating model. Today, all countries voluntarily set their goals on the basis of their economic capabilities. To do this, countries present individual plans known as National Contributions (NDCs) that outline their proposed reduction and adaptation strategies.