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| Third Conference of the Parties (COP3) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Third Conference of the Parties (COP3) |
| Other names | Kyoto Conference |
| Date | 1–11 December 1997 |
| Venue | Kyoto International Conference Center |
| Location | Kyoto, Japan |
| Convened by | United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change |
| Participants | Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change |
| Outcome | Adoption of the Kyoto Protocol |
Third Conference of the Parties (COP3) The Third Conference of the Parties (COP3) convened in Kyoto in December 1997 and resulted in the adoption of the Kyoto Protocol. The meeting brought together representatives from United States, European Union, Japan, Canada, Australia, Russia, China, India, Brazil, South Africa, Mexico, Argentina, Norway, Switzerland, Sweden, Germany, France, United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Slovenia, Greece, Portugal, Ireland, Luxembourg, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Portugal and representatives of the United Nations, European Commission, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Greenpeace, World Wildlife Fund, Friends of the Earth, Business Council for Sustainable Energy, International Emissions Trading Association, Climate Action Network, International Energy Agency, Global Environment Facility, United Nations Development Programme, United Nations Environment Programme, Asian Development Bank, African Development Bank and other intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations.
Delegates arrived amid scientific assessments by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and diplomatic outcomes from the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, the Rio Earth Summit, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Berlin Mandate, the Buenos Aires Plan of Action, the Conference of the Parties (UNFCCC) process, and national policy moves such as the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 in the United States and emission strategies by the European Union. Key scientific inputs included reports from the IPCC Second Assessment Report and modeling work by the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Hadley Centre, and Max Planck Institute for Meteorology. Economic analyses referenced work by the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change (later contextual), and national ministries such as the United States Environmental Protection Agency, Ministry of the Environment (Japan), Department of the Environment (United Kingdom), Bundesministerium für Umwelt, and Ministry of Environment and Forests (India).
Principal state delegations included United States Department of State, European Commission, Government of Japan, Government of Canada, Government of Australia, Government of Russia, People's Republic of China, Republic of India, Federative Republic of Brazil, Republic of South Africa, Government of Mexico and numerous United Nations agencies. Prominent negotiators and figures present were representatives tied to institutions such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, World Resources Institute, Pew Center on Global Climate Change, Center for Clean Air Policy, Resources for the Future, International Energy Agency, Global Climate Coalition, American Petroleum Institute, European Round Table for Industry, BusinessEurope, Confederation of British Industry, and advocacy groups including Greenpeace International, World Wide Fund for Nature, Friends of the Earth International, Sierra Club, 350.org (later context), and indigenous organizations linked to the International Labour Organization processes. Finance and market stakeholders included the European Investment Bank, Asian Development Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, World Bank Carbon Finance Unit, Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs, Merrill Lynch, BP, Royal Dutch Shell, ExxonMobil, TotalEnergies, Enron (contextual), and trading entities that later engaged with mechanisms established at COP3.
The conference culminated in agreement on the Kyoto Protocol text, establishing legally binding quantified emission reduction commitments for Annex I parties, modalities for mechanisms, and procedures for reporting and review. The outcome incorporated elements from prior UNFCCC sessions such as the Berlin Mandate and the Buenos Aires Plan of Action. Delegates debated commitments with input from legal experts associated with the International Court of Justice advisory processes, treaty drafters influenced by the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, and diplomats from G77 and China, Least Developed Countries Group, Alliance of Small Island States, Umbrella Group, European Union negotiating bloc, and Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries observers. The Protocol specified base years and commitment periods, set the stage for ratification and entry into force, and outlined mechanisms that would be operationalized in later UNFCCC meetings.
The Protocol established quantified targets for Annex I parties, setting aggregate reductions relative to 1990 levels and specific targets for individual Parties such as commitments by the European Union and member states, Japan, Canada, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and transitional economy parties including Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Slovakia, and Slovenia. Flexible mechanisms created included International Emissions Trading, the Clean Development Mechanism, and Joint Implementation drawing on precedents from emissions trading pilots in the United Kingdom, Sweden, Norway, and regional schemes in the European Union. The Protocol enumerated greenhouse gases covered such as carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, and sulphur hexafluoride, aligning with scientific categories used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
COP3 outcomes included reporting, monitoring, and review provisions referencing inventories methodologies developed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and implementation guidance from the Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Compliance procedures drew on concepts from international environmental law as reflected in the Montreal Protocol and negotiation practices in the World Trade Organization and were designed to balance binding commitments with facilitative measures for parties such as G77 and China members, Small Island Developing States, and economies in transition. Institutional arrangements anticipated roles for the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol, the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice, the Subsidiary Body for Implementation, and compliance committees to assess implementation and recommend consequences.
Reactions ranged from endorsements by the European Commission, European Parliament, and environmental NGOs like Greenpeace to criticism from business lobbies such as the Global Climate Coalition and national political leaders in the United States Senate, House of Representatives, and executive offices. The Protocol influenced national debates in capitals including Washington, D.C., Ottawa, Tokyo, Canberra, Moscow, Beijing, and New Delhi, and interacted with policy instruments like the Clean Development Mechanism investment flows, carbon market speculation involving investment banks and energy companies, and legislative responses such as debates over ratification in parliaments of the United States, Canada, and Australia. Energy sector stakeholders including ExxonMobil, BP, Royal Dutch Shell, TotalEnergies, Chevron and utilities in the European Union assessed economic impacts on trade, competitiveness, and compliance costs.
The Kyoto outcomes shaped the trajectory of international climate governance, informing later agreements such as the Marrakesh Accords, the Bali Road Map, the Copenhagen Accord, the Cancún Agreements, the Paris Agreement, and procedural reforms at subsequent Conferences of the Parties. The Protocol catalyzed the growth of carbon markets, spawning regional initiatives like the European Union Emissions Trading System and bilateral credits trading, influenced the research agenda at institutions such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Hadley Centre, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and led to national policies including emissions trading schemes and renewable energy targets implemented by Germany, Spain, Denmark, China, United States states like California, and United Kingdom. Kyoto's legacy persists in legal scholarship, climate finance mechanisms hosted by the World Bank and Green Climate Fund precursors, and in ongoing diplomatic dynamics among blocs such as the European Union, China, India, Russia, United States, and the Alliance of Small Island States.
Category:Climate change conferences