Kyoto, the EU committed to reducing average CO2 emissions from the 15 member states by an average of 8% below 1990 levels by then period 2008-12. The UK Government accepted a higher Kyoto target of 12.5% savings and at one stage set itself an even tougher non-binding target of cutting emissions by 20% by 2010. Although most European countries have been working hard towards achieving their Kyoto targets, they only came into force in 2005 after Russia ratified the agreement. Aren't big carbon emitters ignoring the Kyoto targets? It is true that some large emitters of CO2 in the developing world, notably China and India, were not set targets under Kyoto, and that Australia and the USA have refused to ratify the protocol, despite signing it initially. Nonetheless, countries expected to make over half the savings have implemented the protocol, and it is expected that the follow-on agreement will include most of the large developing countries. In all, over 150 countries have ratified the agreement. Please follow this link for a list of countries that have signed the Kyoto agreement (PDF file, 15K) including the amount of CO2 emitted by all main countries in 2002. How can the UK meet the Kyoto targets? The best way of reducing CO 2 emissions is by using less energy and - just as importantly - getting best value from the energy that we do use. But as well as doing this, it helps to know just how much Carbon Dioxide we are using.