The Kyoto Protocol is a document

Signed by about 180 countries at Kyoto, Japan, in December 1997.

• The 1997 Kyoto Protocol shares commitments to individual, legally-binding targets to limit or reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.
• Only Parties to the Protocol, however (that is, by ratifying, accepting, approving, or acceding to it), will be bound by the Protocols commitments, once it comes into force.
• The protocol commits 38 industrialised countries to cut their emissions of greenhouse gases between 2008 to 2012 to levels that are 5.2 per cent below 1990 levels.

Greenhouse Gases

• Many chemical compounds found in the Earths atmosphere act as greenhouse gases.
• These gases allow sunlight to enter the atmosphere freely.
• When sunlight strikes the Earths surface, some of it is reflected back towards space as infrared radiation (heat).
• Greenhouse gases absorb this infrared radiation and trap the heat in the atmosphere.
• Over time, the amount of energy sent from the sun to the Earths surface should be about the same as the amount of energy radiated back into space, leaving the temperature of the Earths surface roughly constant.
• Many gases exhibit these greenhouse properties. Some of them occur in nature (water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide), while others are exclusively human-made (like gases used for aerosols).

Gas Emissions

The targets cover emissions of the six main greenhouse gases, namely:

• Carbon dioxide (CO2)
• Methane (CH4); (Landfill) breakdown of natural substances like grass, vegetables, carboards 
• Nitrous oxide (N2O); - Agriculture - fertilisers 
• Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs); Fridges&freezers 
• Perfluorocarbons (PFCs); in fire extinguishers and for some cosmetic and medical applications. There are no natural sources of PFCs.
• Sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) In tennis balls, High performance vehicle tyres, The cushioning soles of some trainers.

Ireland target +13% re 1990 by 2012
Waterford County Council is currently producing a Climate Change Strategy that will be completed shortly.