In 1997, the international community set binding reduction targets for industrialised countries in the Kyoto Protocol. After an initial commitment period from 2008 to 2012, Switzerland and several other countries extended their reduction obligations until 2020 as part of the second commitment period. The Paris Agreement succeeded the Kyoto Protocol for the period after 2020.
After the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change was adopted in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, it quickly became apparent that the provisions of this agreement were not concrete or binding enough to ensure global climate protection and international coordination.
Objective: to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
This is why, in 1997, some 192 states parties to the Convention adopted an additional agreement, the Kyoto Protocol. The industrialised countries thus committed themselves to reducing their greenhouse gas emissions by an average of 5.2% compared with 1990 levels for the period from 2008 to 2012, known as the first commitment period.
For Switzerland, as for the European Union, the reduction target was set at an average of 8%.
To achieve this target, the industrialised countries concerned had to redefine their energy supply policies, which met with economic and political resistance, leading to further negotiations. A procedure for achieving the Kyoto Protocol targets was finally adopted in Marrakesh in 2001.
Entry into force of the Protocol
The Kyoto Protocol entered into force on 16 February 2005 after being ratified by more than 55 states representing at least 55% of CO2 emissions from industrialised countries in 1990 (status of ratification in January 2023: 192 states).
In Switzerland, the Federal Assembly approved ratification by a large majority in spring 2003. The instrument of ratification was deposited with the UN on 9 July 2003.
Second commitment period
In March 2005, EU environment ministers discussed climate protection targets for the end of the first commitment period: they considered that industrialised countries would need to reduce emissions by 15 to 30% by 2020 and by 60 to 80% by 2050.
A few months later, the Montreal Conference adopted the first resolutions on how to achieve these targets in the Convention and began negotiations for a second commitment period under the Kyoto Protocol.
At the Bali Climate Conference in 2007, a separate negotiation process was launched to expand and strengthen the Convention. In 2011, the Durban Conference in South Africa established the climate regime for the period from 2013 to 2020. The issue of climate policy after 2020 also took a decisive step forward with the mandate to develop an agreement between all states, to be adopted in 2015 and enter into force in 2020. This would be the Paris Agreement.
Following the Doha Conference in Qatar, several countries agreed to commit to a second period of the Kyoto Protocol: Australia, the EU, Croatia, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway and Switzerland. The Doha Amendment entered into force once ratified by 144 countries. Other major greenhouse gas emitters, such as China, the United States, Russia, India, Japan, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, Indonesia, South Korea and South Africa, declared politically binding reduction targets for 2020 under the Convention.
The second commitment period extended to 2020. A third commitment period is not anticipated. The period after 2020 is covered by the Paris Agreement.
Last modification 11.07.2025
