Well, here are some facts:
The Kyoto Treaty binds signatories to limit current emissions to 1990 levels.
Spain and Portugal were 40.5 per cent above 1990 emissions levels in 2002, Ireland 28.9 per cent and Greece 26 per cent, according to UN data. By comparison, Australia was 22.2 per cent above 1990 levels and the United States 13.1 per cent. In Japan, the world's number two economy, emissions have risen eight percent over 1990 levels.
Got that? The world's number one & two economies, USA & Japan, increased emissions 13.1% & 8% respectively, while the rest of the world (i.e those who emit 75% of the human emissions of carbon dioxide) have increased emissions by twice the rate of the US and three or more times that of Japan. So, can you infer who's installing more efficient equipment and processes? It sure as hell ain't Spain. Yeah, and we're the bad guys in all this.
In general the protocol commits the world's developed countries to reduce their omissions by 5.2% overall by 2012 from their 1990 levels.
However under the terms of the EU's burden-sharing agreement, Irlenad's target is to limit greenhouse gas emissions to 13% above the 1990 levels by 2012. Emissions were 25% higher in 2003, down from 31% in 2001.
