 Goal 13 of the Sustainable Development Goals – Climate Action What is the Kyoto Protocol? According to the United Nations, the Kyoto Protocol is an agreement linked to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which commits its parties to setting internationally binding emission reduction targets. Since being adopted in December 1997, the protocol has been active since February 2005. The protocol enacts a stricter policy on developed nations because it is recognizes that developed countries are mostly responsible for the large amounts of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Some of the 192 countries that have signed the agreement include Australia, China, Russia, Japan, and every nation in the European Union. The United States and Afghanistan are two of the only developed countries who have not signed. Although only a small number of countries haven't signed the Kyoto Protocol, its benefits outweigh the negatives. The main objective of the Kyoto Protocol is to reduce the amount of harmful chemicals that are pumped into the atmosphere. It does this by establishing a structure of rolling emission reduction commitment periods for its members to abide by. Some of the principal concepts of the protocol include minimizing impacts on developing countries by establishing an adaptation fund for climate change, establishing legally binding commitments to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases for its parties, and establishing a compliance committee to enforce compliance with the commitments under the protocol. The Kyoto Protocol is a step in the right direction for a global fight against climate change.