Concept:
The
Kyoto Protocol is an international environmental treaty adopted in
1997 in Kyoto, Japan. It was developed under the
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to address the problem of global warming.
The main objective of the Kyoto Protocol is to reduce the emission of
greenhouse gases (GHGs) that contribute to climate change by trapping heat in the Earth's atmosphere.
Major greenhouse gases targeted under the Kyoto Protocol include:
- Carbon dioxide (\(CO_2\))
- Methane (\(CH_4\))
- Nitrous oxide (\(N_2O\))
- Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)
- Perfluorocarbons (PFCs)
- Sulfur hexafluoride (\(SF_6\))
Step 1: Identify the purpose of the Kyoto Protocol.
The Kyoto Protocol established legally binding targets for developed countries to reduce their
greenhouse gas emissions to combat global warming.
Step 2: Eliminate the other options.
- Ozone-depleting gases are regulated under the Montreal Protocol.
- Noble gases are chemically inert and not associated with climate change.
- Radioactive gases are not the focus of the Kyoto Protocol.
Thus, the Kyoto Protocol primarily aims to reduce the emission of
greenhouse gases.