The science, politics and economics of global climate change: implications for the carbon sink projects.

摘要

We live at a time when the global climate is experiencing unprecedented changes. The realization that anthropogenically emitted greenhouse gases (GHGs) caused these changes led to protracted international negotiations resulting in the adoption of the Kyoto Protocol in 1997. These negotiations were marred by political and economic overtones and the science of climate change was largely sidelined by the US, the single largest GHG emitter which eventually withdrew from the Kyoto Protocol in 2001. With Russia finally ratifying it, the Protocol came into force on 16 February 2005. The Kyoto Protocol fixes legally binding quantified emissions limitation and reduction commitments (QELRCs) on the industrialized countries, while exempting the developing and the least developed countries from any emission restrictions. The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) is a market instrument under the Kyoto Protocol to help the industrialized countries meet their QERLCs cost effectively while developing countries can also benefit. The implications of CDM for carbon sink projects in the country are briefly discussed..