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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 48(2)

An overview of the international context for greenhouse gas reductions

Helen Plume A C , Roger Lincoln A and Hayden Montgomery B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Ministry for the Environment, Wellington, New Zealand.

B Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Wellington, New Zealand.

C Corresponding author. Email: helen.plume@mfe.govt.nz

Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 48(2) 251-254 https://doi.org/10.1071/EA07241
Submitted: 6 August 2007  Accepted: 25 November 2007   Published: 2 January 2008

Abstract

The international context for addressing greenhouse gases, including those from agriculture, is presented. The Kyoto Protocol rules are set for the first commitment period from 2008 to 2012. During this period, industrialised country parties (countries that have both signed and ratified the agreement) are to collectively reduce total greenhouse gas emissions by 5% below 1990 emission levels. Arrangements for a post-2012 agreement are currently being discussed. Science plays a vital role in identifying options for greenhouse gas emission reductions in the agriculture sector.


Acknowledgements

Gerald Rys (Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry) helpfully reviewed this paper and Daniel Twaddle (Ministry for the Environment) assisted with the diagrams.


References


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1 The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change explicitly excludes greenhouse gases that are controlled by the Montreal Protocol.

2 Global warming potentials (GWPs) present the radiative forcing impacts of greenhouse gases relative to carbon dioxide. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (1995) GWPs over a 100-year time horizon are used under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol.

3 Activity includes only carbon dioxide not other greenhouse gases.

4 Details on these mechanisms and land use, land-use change and forestry can be found in Anon. (2005a, 2005b, 2005c).

5 This reporting includes annual greenhouse gas inventory reporting by Annex I parties and periodic reporting of national communications by parties not included in Annex I. The countries listed in Annex I to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change are industrialised countries plus countries with ‘economies in transition’.

6 Including emissions from land-use change and forestry.