El Niño
Climate phenomenon that occurs approximately every 3 to 8 years in the equatorial Pacific. Anomalies in the wind systems entail the warming of the cold Humboldt Current off the west coast of South America. At the same time, the water temperatures off the Australian and the Indonesian coasts drop. The consequences are tremendous rainfalls along the west coast of northern South America, paired with exceptional droughts in South-East Asia, which often cause crop losses and bush fires. Weather anomalies associated with El Niño are also observed in other parts of the world, sometimes resulting in droughts or storms. The name was given to the warm current by Peruvian fishermen (El Niño = Spanish for "Christ Child") who suffered from the decimation of the fish populations in their catching areas due to the high water temperatures. The question whether global warming has an influence on El Niño is not clearly resolved. Some researchers assume that there will be an increase in frequency and intensity of the phenomenon.
Emissions Trading
Article 17 of the Kyoto Protocol allows trading in emission certificates. Annex B countries may sell a share of their emissions certificates for the first commitment period (2008-2012) if they manage to reduce their emissions below the assigned amount. Alternatively, they may buy units from other Annex B countries. The objective of the mechanism is that emissions will be reduced by those who have the lowest costs of avoidance.
Emission Certificates
In order to meet the targets of the Kyoto Protocol, emission certificates are distributed to the Annex B countries; the certificates entitle the countries to emit a certain amount of greenhouse gases.
EU Burden Sharing
The EU has committed itself to a reduction of its greenhouse gas emissions by 8% compared to the base year 1990 during the first commitment period (2008-2012). Within the EU, the overall emission reduction target was distributed to the member states in line with the varying initial positions of the states. Germany’s reduction target, for example, is 21%.
Flexible Mechanisms
Certain regulations defined by the Kyoto Protocol to give some leeway to the parties regarding the compliance with their individual emissions targets. In particular, the parties can meet their targets by achieving reductions in other countries. Instruments are the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), Emissions Trading and Joint Implementation.
Fossil Fuels
Finite resources for the generation of energy, like coal, fuel oil and natural gas. The burning of fossil fuels, which contain carbon, entails emissions of carbon dioxide.
Greenhouse Effect
Effect that results in the warming of the earth. It resembles the process in a greenhouse: when shortwave solar radiation passes through the glass roof (respectively the greenhouse gases). As the radiation hits the ground, it partly warms it up and partly is reflected back into space in the form of longwave radiation. Longwave radiation is to some extent absorbed by the glass roof (respectively the greenhouse gases) and gets trapped inside the greenhouse (respectively in the atmosphere), thus heating up the air. The natural global greenhouse effect raises the temperature of the earth by around 33°C and thereby enables the existence of higher forms of life on earth. The problem is the anthropogenic greenhouse effect, because the additional greenhouse gases further heat up the earth.
Greenhouse Gases
Gases that contribute to the greenhouse effect. Natural greenhouse gases include water vapour, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and ozone. The six most important anthropogenic greenhouse gases that are subject to the emission reduction targets defined by the Kyoto Protocol are carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons and sulphur hexafluoride.
Carbon Dioxide (CO2): The most important of the six greenhouse gases that are subject to the emission reduction targets of the Kyoto Protocol. It accounts for about 60% of the anthropogenic greenhouse effect. It is generated through the burning of fossil fuels and through the burning of biomass (for example when forests are cleared).
Methane (CH4): One of the six greenhouse gases that are subject to the emission reduction targets of the Kyoto Protocol. It accounts for about 20% of the anthropogenic greenhouse effect. Its greenhouse effect is about 21 times stronger than that of carbon dioxide. Sources are, for example, intense cattle farming, paddy fields, landfills, and the extraction, transport and consumption of natural gas.
Nitrous Oxide (N2O): One of the six greenhouse gases that are subject to the emission reduction targets of the Kyoto Protocol. It accounts for about 6% of the anthropogenic greenhouse effect. Its greenhouse effect is about 310 times stronger than that of carbon dioxide. It is generated, for example, through the burning of fossil fuels and through fertilizer production.
Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs): Among the six greenhouse gases that are subject to the emission reduction targets of the Kyoto Protocol. Their greenhouse effect is 140 to 11,700 times stronger than that of carbon dioxide. They are exclusively man-made. They serve as substitutes for chlorofluorocarbons and are, for example, used in cooling systems.
Perfluorocarbons (PFCs): Among the six greenhouse gases that are subject to the emission reduction targets of the Kyoto Protocol. Their greenhouse effect is 6,500 to 9,200 times stronger than that of carbon dioxide. They are exclusively generated by human activities, for example through aluminum melting or the production of semiconductors.
Sulphur Hexafluoride (SF6): One of the six greenhouse gases that are subject to the emission reduction targets defined by the Kyoto Protocol. Its greenhouse effect is about 23,900 times stronger than that of carbon dioxide. Among other applications it is used as an insulator.
Global Change
Natural, economic and social changes that have long term effects on human life. In many contexts, global change is primarily referred to as environmental changes caused by human activities.
„Hot Air"
Due to the economic slump after 1990 especially in Russia and the Ukraine, emissions were reduced in these countries without any measures taken for climate protection. Therefore, the need for emission rights was possibly overestimated in the base year 1990, which lead to a surplus of emission certificates that could be sold in the framework of the Emissions Trading mechanism.