Kyoto protocol in romania

The Kyoto protocol in Romania

By: Angela Popa

Ilie Szasz

Introduction

• The Kyoto Protocol is a protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change aimed at combating global warming.

• The Protocol was initially adopted on 11 December 1997 in Kyoto, Japan and in November 2009, 187 states have signed and ratified it.

• Under the Protocol, 37 industrialized countries commit themselves to a reduction of four greenhouse gases and two groups of gases by 5.2% from the 1990 level

Kyoto Protocol in Romania - general information

• Romania signed the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in 1992 at the Rio Earth Summit, being the first country included in the Annex I of the UNFCCC which ratified the Kyoto Protocol.

• By ratifying the Kyoto Protocol in 2001, Romania not only committed to reduce GHG emissions but also showed the political will to engage in solving a global problem.

• The economic decline after 1989 induced by the transition from a planned economy to a market based economy resulted in a relevant decrease of the GHG emissions

Kyoto Protocol in Romania• Romania as an Annex I Party undergoing the process of transition to a market

economy and taking into account the flexibility provided by UNFCCC, has requested a different base year to better reflect its economic potential and it was agreed that Romania will use 1989 as a base year, instead of 1990.

• Romania has been preparing and submitting national GHG inventories in the requested format, annually starting with 2002.

• The aggregated GHG emissions trends reflect the main characteristics of the country’s economic development. The period 1989-2004 was characterized by a restructuring process of the industry and a transition to the market economy.

• In the same time, the first reactor at the Cernavoda nuclear power plant started to operate in full capacity in 1996 having also an effect on reducing overall GHG emissions.

• After 1999, the improvement of the economic indicators and the starting of the EU accession process have been reflected in a slight increase of the overall GHG emissions

Romania’s GHG emissions

Romania’s evolution

• Energy is the most important sector for total GHG emissions of Romania.

• Industrial processes sector contributes with 11.7% to the total GHG emissions.

• The main reason for this important decrease of GHG emissions is the decline or phase out of certain productions and the restructuring of main industrial branches

• In 2005 Romania managed for the fourth time to submit to the national greenhouse gas inventory with all its components, meeting also the requested deadline

Conclusions

• According to the latest national inventory of GHG emissions, finalised in March 2009 the level of this kind of emissions is 37% lower than the average target set by the Kyoto Protocol for the period 2008-2012.

• Romania could earn at least 2 billion euros until 2015, from the sale of emission rights for 200 million tonnes of CO2 of the approximately 350 million tonnes of CO2 as deriving from the Kyoto Protocol.

• Romania must use the cash from these carbon credits for green projects that help the environment to reduce gas emissions by:

rehabilitating central heating systems of Communist-era blocks

promoting renewable energy development, including solar, wind, biomass and small hydro power