This is an international treaty that has been signed in 1997 in Kyoto, Japan at the UN convention "United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change" (UNFCCC). And its goal is to protect the world's climate and reduce the ongoing Global warming.
The countries displayed with green on the map, have all signed the treaty and accept to reduce emissions of the carbon dioxide and 5 other greenhouse gases. The global goal is to make a 5.2% reduction compared to the levels seen in the 1990's. The goal is to do this before 2008-2012.
Countries like USA and Australia have not agreed to the protocol, despite of USA is the country in the world that has the highest emission numbers of them all.
Denmark alone has agreed to make a reduction on 21% alone, while the sum of EU reductions is set at 7%. The main contributors to the reduction in Europe are Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Norway.
Problem with the Kyoto Protocol is the valid ness of it. 55% of the industrialized counties is said to sign it, with a collaborate emission of 55%, but with USA on the sideline the protocol has a problem.
Good thing states like California, have chosen to follow the Kyoto Protocol, despite their government wouldn't. Cheers Schwarzenegger. They know Globalwarming Awareness2007 is important!
President George Bush has lately announced USA will reduce their fossil fuel dependencies with 20% over the next 10 year. Not in the term to help save our environment, but to "protect" them from their dependence on foreign oil, as they are deeply dependant on oil from middle east countries.