Twenty-five years of hope and political negotiations, of science, data and denial campaigns to delay and even bury it. A look at the first iconic moment for global climate policy making: what remains of the Kyoto Protocol’s heritage and what lies ahead for international environmental agreements.
It all started 20 years ago when the signing of the protocol laid the foundation for climate negotiations. Now we consider it outdated, and some criticise it harshly, but it was the starting point of a process that continues to change the world. Nada Maamoun tells us about her research and the positive outcomes of the Kyoto Protocol.
From overarching great consensus treaties to smaller agreements between countries, the future of international climate agreements has to learn from the failures of the Kyoto Protocol and its inability to stem the flow of greenhouse gas emissions. Ralph Winkler, international environmental cooperation expert, on the contradictions and opportunities of the agreement signed in 1997.
