What international agreements aim to reduce greenhouse gases?

The Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement are key international agreements aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The Kyoto Protocol is an international treaty that was adopted in Kyoto, Japan, in December 1997. It is an agreement under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and it commits its parties to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The protocol recognises that developed countries are principally responsible for the current high levels of greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere as a result of more than 150 years of industrial activity. Therefore, it places a heavier burden on developed nations under the principle of "common but differentiated responsibilities."

The Paris Agreement, on the other hand, is a legally binding international treaty on climate change, adopted by 196 Parties at COP 21 in Paris, on 12 December 2015 and entered into force on 4 November 2016. Its goal is to limit global warming to well below 2, preferably to 1.5 degrees Celsius, compared to pre-industrial levels. To achieve this long-term temperature goal, countries aim to reach global peaking of greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible to achieve a climate-neutral world by mid-century.

Both these agreements are crucial in the global fight against climate change. They represent the collective will of the international community to address the issue of greenhouse gas emissions and their impact on our planet. The success of these agreements, however, depends on the commitment and action of all participating countries.