Major

Protocols and
Treaties
 What these mean
 With increasing global awareness about pollution and environment
preservation, several bilateral and multilateral agreements have been
signed and established.
 These are termed as either (International) Conventions or Treaties or
Protocols (ICTPs).
 The ICTPs are internationally agreed legal instruments which the member
countries are supposed to follow.
 These instruments have been formulated to ensure sustainable
development.
 What these mean
 Convention: A formal multilateral agreement that includes the legislative
instruments adopted by the international institutions.
 Treaty: An establishment between two or few more countries to abide by
certain rules and regulations.
 Protocols: These are less formal agreements than a treaty or convention.
I) Subsidiary or auxiliary to a convention and prepared by some negotiators.
II) Supporting instrument to a convention.
 Convention and Protocols
 Two important protocols to ensure the sustainable development of
environment:
I) Montreal Protocol
II) Kyoto Protocol

 Ramsar Convention on Wetlands: An agreement on the conservation and

sustainable development of wetlands.
 Montreal Protocol
The “Montreal Protocol on substances that deplete the Ozone
Layer” is a landmark international agreement designed to
protect the stratospheric ozone layer. This was originally signed
in 1987 and substantially amended in 1990 and 1992.
 Ozone depletion and global environment change
 Humans can have a significant impact on the global environment (ozone hole)
 This discovery has prompted much research into the causes of ozone depletion
and the biological effects of increased ultra-violate radiation exposure.
 The potential effects on humans and the environment have led to international
regulations designed to gradually phrase out production ozone deleting
substances.
 As a result, the scientific and industrial communities have collaborated to find
safe and economical replacements for CFCs, the manmade chemicals
implicated in ozone.
 CFCs and Ozone Depletion
 Compounds that have been implicated in the accelerate depletion of ozone in
the earth’s stratosphere.
 Developed in 1930s and are used in a variety of industrial, commercial and
household applications.
 These substances are non-toxic, non-flammable and non-reactive with other
chemical compounds.
 Not until 1973 was chlorine found to be a catalytic agent in ozone destruction.
Catalytic destruction of ozone removes the odd species [atomic oxygen (O) and
ozone (O3)].
 Health effects from UV-B Radiation
 Recent depletion of stratospheric ozone could lead to significant increase in
UV-B.
 UV-B radiation is responsible for a wide range of potentially damaging
human and animal effects.
 Human exposure to UV-B depends upon an individual’s location, the
duration and timing of outdoor activities and precautionary behavior.
 The individual’s skin color and age can influence due to UV-B.
 Some known diseases may attack such as skin cancer, cataract, immune
system disorders etc.
Environmental effects of Ozone Depletion
 Effects such as alterations in tropospheric chemistry and potential global
warming due to CFCs.
 Alteration in species competition, decrease in photosynthetic activity,
susceptibility to disease and changes in plant structure and pigmentation.
 Changes in photosynthetic and enzymatic reactions have detrimental
effects on plant growth.
 Increase photochemical smog production in urban areas also increases UV-
B levels, reducing air quality.
 Policies and responses
 The principal international policy instrument for protecting the
stratospheric ozone layer is the Montreal protocol on substances that
deplete the Ozone Layer.
 Many countries, some cities or local authorities have taken action to control
production and use of CFCs and other depleting substances.
 Industrial organizations directly affected have been actively engaged in
developing alternative substances to CFCs and other ozone depleting
compounds.
 Several environmental and economic factors need to be considered.
 Kyoto Protocol
The Kyoto Protocol is an agreement made under the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) committed to reduce
the emissions of carbon di-oxide and five other green house gases. The
main treaty, UNFCCC was signed in 1992, followed by several annual
meetings, known as Conferences of the parties (COP) to assess the
progress of the treaty. In the third such progress review meeting, known as
COP-3, the Kyoto Protocol was signed.
 UNFCCC
 It’s an international environmental treaty produced at the United Nations
Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) informally known as
the Earth Summit, held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992.
 The treaty aimed at reducing emissions of Greenhouse gas (GHG) in order to
combat Global Warming.
 GHG National Inventory is an inventory of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions
and removals.
 154 nations, “non binding aim” to reduce concentration of GHGs with the
goal of “preventing dangerous anthropogenic interference with Earth’s
climate system”.
 Kyoto Protocol on Climate Change
 After intensive negotiations, Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change was adopted by COP-3, in December 1997 in
Kyoto, Japan.
 Most industrialized nations and some central European economies in
transition agreed to legally binding reductions in GHG emissions of an
average of 6 to 8% below 1990 levels between the years 2008-2012.
 The United States would be required to reduce its total emissions an average
of 7% below 1990 levels.
 This protocol covers more than 160 countries globally and over 55% of
global GHG emissions.
 Principles of Kyoto Protocol
 Kyoto is underwritten by governments.
 Governments are separated into two general categories: i) Developed &
ii) Developing countries.
 Any developed country fails to meet its Kyoto target will be penalized by
having its reduction targets decreased by 30% in the next period.
 By 2008-2012, developed countries have to reduce their GHG emissions
by around 5% below their 1990 levels.
 Kyoto includes flexible mechanisms.
 Details of the agreement
The Kyoto Protocol is an agreement under which industrialized countries
will reduce their collective emissions of greenhouse gases by 5.2%
compared to the year 1990.The goal is to lower overall emissions of six
greenhouse gases - carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, sulfur
hexafluoride, HFCs, and PFCs - calculated as an average over the five-year
period of 2008-12. National targets range from 8% reductions for the
European Union and some others to 7% for the US, 6% for Japan, 0% for
Russia, and permitted increases of 8% for Australia and 10% for Iceland.
 Ramsar Convention on Wetlands
 The Ramsar convention is an international agreement on the conservation
and sustainable development of wetlands by recognizing the fundamental
ecological functions of wetlands and their economic, cultural, scientific and
recreational value.
 The official title of this convention is “The convention on Wetlands of
international importance, especially as waterfowl habitat”.
 Presently there are 172 contracting parties, up from 119 in 2000 and only 18
initial signatories in 1971, Place: Ramsar, Iran.
 Signatories meet every three years as the conference of parties (COP), the
first being held in Cagliari, Italy in 1980.