Emissions reduction projects, technologies and carbon capture usage and storage (CCUS)

International emission reduction treaties

Emission reduction projects aim to reduce carbon dioxide (CO₂) and other greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. They often generate carbon credits which can be traded in international or voluntary markets.

UNFCCC and Kyoto Protocol

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and the connected Kyoto Protocol, are key international treaties connected with stabilising GHG concentrations. For more information, see Practice Note: UNFCCC 1992—snapshot.

The Kyoto Protocol committed developed economies in Annex I to the UNFCCC (Annex I parties) to detailed reductions in GHG emissions through a number of methods, including flexible mechanisms, such as the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), and Joint Implementation (JI). The CDM and JI involved investing in emissions reduction projects in developing countries (CDM) and developed countries (JI). The Kyoto Protocol ran for two commitment periods: 2008 to 2012, and 2013 to 2020.

For more information, see Practice Notes:

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UNFCCC 1992—snapshot
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Kyoto Protocol 1997—snapshot [Archived]
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Kyoto Protocol—eligibility, compliance and enforcement [Archived]
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Carbon markets—international emissions trading schemes
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Carbon offsetting

The Paris Agreement

To replace the Kyoto Protocol,

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