Climate change and emission trading

摘要

Climate change has become in recent years the most relevant environmental issue worldwide. International cooperation in this field began in the 80's, under the leadership of the United Nations. In 1992, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change was approved. Nowadays, more than 140 countries have joined the Convention. It sets the basic lines to address Climate Change at international level, and stresses the need for scientific, technological and economic worldwide cooperation to properly address Climate Change. The Kyoto Protocol was established in 1997, and includes quantitative emission targets for 38 countries. The global commitment is to achieve a global reduction of greenhouse gases emissions by 5 percent at the end of this decade as compared to the emissions in 1990. Emission trading is one of the tools included in the Protocol to achieve the targets established. The European Union has put into practice an emission trading scheme for industrial companies, including refineries, cement and lime factories, power stations and others. The European market for CO_2 will start in January 2005, Serious concern about the effect this new market may have on the competitiveness of the European industrial companies has spread all through Europe. This article deals with the main topics of climate change: greenhouse effect, the UN Convention and the Kyoto Protocol, and the main aspects of the new European market of CO_2 emissions, including the effect it might have on cement factories and how these will closely follow up their emissions.