THE LONG ROAD OF CLIMATE NEGOTIATIONS: FROM KYOTO TO PARIS STOPPING OVER IN DOHA

The COP18 summit in Doha resulted in incremental progress, primarily the agreement of a second commitment period for the Kyoto Protocol (KP2) from 2013 to 2020. While the EU and several other nations committed to an average emission reduction of 18% below 1990 levels, major emitters including the US, China, Russia, Japan, Canada, and New Zealand did not approve or opposed the commitment. The summit failed to establish a concrete roadmap for the $100 billion annual climate finance target for 2020, though it introduced a new agreement to establish an international mechanism for "loss and damage" by COP19. The document highlights ongoing tensions regarding the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities (CBDR-RC) and the dispute over "hot air" carbon credits, particularly involving Poland and the EU.

• The COP18 summit in Doha achieved only incremental progress, avoiding a total collapse of the Kyoto Protocol by establishing a second commitment period (KP2) running from 1 January 2013 to 31 December 2020.
• A group of countries representing approximately 15% of global emissions, including all EU members, Australia, Norway, Switzerland, Iceland, Croatia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine, agreed to reduce emissions by an average of 18% below 1990 levels between 2013 and 2020.
• Major global emitters, specifically the US and China, as well as former Kyoto members Canada, Russia, Japan, and New Zealand, did not approve or opposed the second commitment period.
• Developed nations failed to provide a concrete financial roadmap or specific figures for the 2020 target of $100 billion per year in climate finance, instead calling for adaptation funds only "when their financial circumstances permit".
• The Doha negotiations introduced a significant innovation by agreeing to create an international mechanism by COP19 to address "loss and damage" for vulnerable developing countries, particularly island states.
• A diplomatic conflict occurred over "hot air" carbon credits, where developing countries sought the abolition of unused credits, but the EU ultimately allowed Poland to retain its unused credits.

APA

Pascual, U., & Markandya, A. (2013). THE LONG ROAD OF CLIMATE NEGOTIATIONS: FROM KYOTO TO PARIS STOPPING OVER IN DOHA. Basque Centre for Climate Change. https://www.bc3research.org/h6T8Uy8Nm4gFs0O/201304161032551058572496.pdf

Chicago

Pascual, Unai, and Anil Markandya. THE LONG ROAD OF CLIMATE NEGOTIATIONS: FROM KYOTO TO PARIS STOPPING OVER IN DOHA. Basque Centre for Climate Change, 2013. https://www.bc3research.org/h6T8Uy8Nm4gFs0O/201304161032551058572496.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Pascual |first1=Unai |last2=Markandya |first2=Anil |title=THE LONG ROAD OF CLIMATE NEGOTIATIONS: FROM KYOTO TO PARIS STOPPING OVER IN DOHA |publisher=Basque Centre for Climate Change |date=January 2013 |url=https://www.bc3research.org/h6T8Uy8Nm4gFs0O/201304161032551058572496.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{pascual2013long, author = {Pascual, Unai and Markandya, Anil}, title = {{THE LONG ROAD OF CLIMATE NEGOTIATIONS: FROM KYOTO TO PARIS STOPPING OVER IN DOHA}}, institution = {Basque Centre for Climate Change}, year = {2013}, month = jan, url = {https://www.bc3research.org/h6T8Uy8Nm4gFs0O/201304161032551058572496.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }