Until 2020, the Kyoto Protocol is the world’s governments’ main political instrument to cut emissions and close the mitigation gap. At the moment we are already in its second commitment period (KP2), implemented through the Doha amendments, covering the period until 2020, and ensuring continuous legally binding climate action. But only 111 Parties have ratified it so far — and we need 33 more for it to enter into force.
Only if 144, i.e. 3/4 of the 192 Parties to the Kyoto Protocol ratify it in the coming months, will KP2 enter into force this year. If that happens we do not have to spend the pre-2020 stocktake at COP24 wondering why an agreement that was reached in 2012 has still not entered into force; and can instead focus on crucial questions of implementation. Which parties are on track to deliver on their pre-2020 commitments and which are not (whether they are under the KP2 or not)? What lessons can we learn? How can we avoid this gap in the future?
It would also make a difference for that pretty important Talanoa Dialogue Q&A we are going to have at COP24. It sure would be nice to be able to answer the first question: “Where are we?” with more than “In Katowice”. We would rather say that enough countries have taken steps to fulfill the legal requirements for ratification, and have taken every opportunity to scale up climate action in the pre-2020 period. This would give us a good basis for climate action post-2020 under the Paris Agreement.
ECO calls on the more than 80 Parties remaining to ratify as soon as they can, and urges the Presidencies and Secretariat to consult with these Parties during this Bonn session on how to overcome barriers to ratification.
We also call on those large emitting developed countries that have decided to not ratify KP2, to reconsider this — in the name of the common good — accept their historic responsibility, honour past commitments, and set a good precedent for the Paris Agreement.