Climate change has the capacity to completely change the world and make it almost uninhabitable for people. Its full effects may not yet be felt today or tomorrow but, if it’s not stopped, it will certainly incur a lot of damage to the earth within a few decades. Because of these, a lot of world leaders are now looking for ways to halt or at least minimize climate change. One of the things they’ve done is to create the Kyoto Protocol, which encourages member states to find ways to reduce greenhouse gasses.
The Kyoto Protocol is seen by many as the first step to preventing climate change and saving the earth. However, it also has been criticized by those who don’t believe and say that it’s an effective tool. Both sides have valid arguments, and those who don’t yet know which side they should pick must do their research and understand the pros and cons of the protocol.
List of Pros of the Kyoto Protocol
1. It Encourages Innovation
The Kyoto Protocol places a huge emphasis on technology and acknowledges the fact that modern inventions can greatly help in reducing the level of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere. This mindset, in turn, encourages inventors and innovators to come up with new ways to provide fuel for homes, cars, and industries without harming the environment.
2. It Penalizes Those Who Pollute The Planet
Kyoto Protocol doesn’t just stop at stating why and how governments should manage climate change; it also goes on to outline concrete goals that countries and companies must achieve. This is great because it sets a standard that everyone should aspire to reach and helps businesses and governments accurately measure their progress.
Perhaps one of the best things about the protocol is that those who fail to reach the goal will receive a punishment. Specifically, they’ll need to pay carbon tax, which will be used to fund research for reducing climate change.
3. It Paves The Way To a Better Future
A world that’s free from greenhouse gasses is a world that can be considered as paradise. People might not experience this now, but it can be realized in the future if the Kyoto Protocol will be implemented.
List of Cons of the Kyoto Protocol
1. It Doesn’t Have a Lot Of Participants
As of 2015, only 37 countries have binding commitments to the Kyoto Protocol, and only seven of them are ratified. Opponents of the protocol point to this fact, saying that no matter how great its rules and regulations are, it still won’t make a difference with only a handful of participants.
2. It Is Hard To Implement
Despite its well-meaning intentions, the Kyoto Protocol hasn’t been adopted by many countries because it’s difficult to understand, especially for those who are still starting out in the climate change business. It’s also difficult to implement. The current protocol, for example, doesn’t have a monitoring and enforcing system in place and allows countries to self-report their violations.
3. It Doesn’t Have All The Right Tools
As mentioned above, the Kyoto Protocol relies on innovations to fulfill its objectives. Unfortunately, the current level of technology today (especially those in developing and under-developed countries) isn’t yet enough to do this, making it difficult for many nations to reduce their emissions.
These are just some of the pros and cons of the Kyoto Protocol. People around the world should study them and know if the Protocol is helpful tool for climate change or not.
Crystal Lombardo is a contributing editor for Vision Launch. Crystal is a seasoned writer and researcher with over 10 years of experience. She has been an editor of three popular blogs that each have had over 500,000 monthly readers.
