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2.2 International countermeasures to global warming
Regarding global warming, accumulation of scientific knowledge is performed in IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) until now, and meanwhile arguments on its international countermeasures have been made in COP (Conference of the Parties) of UNFCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) in terms of supplementing mutually the related issues.

(1) IPCC : Accumulation of scientific knowledge
IPCC is a body organized by scientists in the world which WMO (World Meteorological Organization) and UNEP (United Nations Environment Program) founded jointly as a place of the study about the global warming problem of a government level in November, 1988. In the report compiled for 1995, IPCC analyzed the climate change since the 19th century to find that global warming has been already occurring due to increasing amount of emitted greenhouse gases after the Industrial Revolution etc.

(2) UNFCC : Study of international countermeasures
As IPCC being a place to accumulate scientific knowledge, on one hand we have UNFCC as a place to discuss and perform international countermeasures to a climate change. In UNCED (United Nations Conference on Environment and Development: commonly named "Earth Summit") held in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil in June, 1992, a large number of the countries including Japan signed UNFCC. The purpose of this treaty is stabilizing the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, accordingly it is required that the amount of emitted greenhouse gases should be controlled or cut down. UNFCC was ratified by 50 countries and went into effect in March, 1994. Based on its effectuation, following COP1 held in Berlin and COP2 held in Geneva, COP3 was held in Kyoto to adopt "Kyoto Protocol" which defined the reduction targets of greenhouse gases in the period from 2008 through 2012.

(3) IPCC report on global warming
Increase of CO2 % in the Air :
* 265 - 285 ppm before the Industrial Revolution (1750 - 1800)
* 365 ppm in 1996
* Over 600 ppm estimated by the end of 2100

Rising of Sea Levels :
* 10 - 25 cm has risen over the past 100 years.
* 9 - 88 cm will rise between 1990 - 2100.

Rising of the Earth's Average Temperature :
* 0.3 - 0.6 degree Celsius has risen over the past 100 years.
* 1.4 - 5.8 degree Celsius will rise between 1990 - 2100.

Influences of Green House Gases on Global Warming (1850 - 1990)
Source: IPCC Report in 2000

(4) COP3 outline of the Kyoto Protocol
COP3 (The 3rd Conference of Parties) of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change was held on December 1 - 11, 1997.
Target gases CO2, CH4, N2O, HFC, PFC, SF6
Target year 2008 - 2012
Reduction target
(Base year: 1990)
At least 5% for all Annex I parties
-5% Croatia
-6% Japan, Canada, Hungary,
Poland
-7% US
-8% Austria, Belgium, Denmark,
Finland, France, Germany,
Greece, Ireland, Italy,
Liechtenstein, Luxembourg,
Monaco, Netherlands,
Portugal, Spain, Sweden,
UK, Switzerland, Bulgaria,
Czech, Estonia, Latvia,
Lithuania, Rumania, Slovakia,
Slovenia
Sinks GHG reduction subject to afforestation is inclusive into calculation for the commitments.

38 Parties in Annex I :
Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom, USA and 15 EU member states combined.

Kyoto Mechanism
Emission Trading
(ET)
Parties in Annex I may participate in the Emission Trading in order to achieve theircommitments.
Joint Implementation
(JI)
For the purpose of meeting its commit-ments, Parties in Annex I may transfer to or acquire from, emission reduction units, any other parties in Annex I .
Clean Development Mechanism
(CDM)
The purpose of CDM mechanism is to assist Parties not included in Annex I in achieving sustainable development and to contribute the Protocol, while Parties in Annex I may use the certified emission reductions accruing from such projects.

Enforcement and Effect
Enforcement The Convention shall become effective 90 days after 55 or more parties to the UNFCCC, incorporating Annex I parties of which total CO2 emission in 1990 is 55% or more of total CO2 emissions of all Annex I parties, ratify the Protocol.
Effect When no Protocol exists, the global CO2 emission in 2010 will increase by 24% compared with 1990.When the Protocol is enforced in 2000, the global CO2 emission in 2010 will reduce by 5.2% compared with 1990.


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