Recently， “Copenhagen Climate Change Conference” has become the most searched phrase in Baidu and Google. However， do you really understand the terminologies that have been mentioned， such as Kyoto Protocol and carbon trading﹖

    这两周以来，哥本哈根气候会议成为百度、谷歌等搜索引擎最热门的关键词。但是许多专业名词，比如“京都议定书”、碳排放交易，不知道你看懂了没有？

    By Ji Yongyong

    From the Clinton Foundation

    Kyoto Protocol

    Global warming has been in the spotlight for a long time. In 1992, the U.N. Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), also known as the Earth Summit, was held in Rio de Janeiro. This conference resulted in the Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). In 1997, the UNFCCC Kyoto Protocol, a  binding legal document, was adopted in Kyoto, Japan, during a U.N. conference. Under the Protocol, 37 industrial countries committed themselves to reduce collective greenhouse gas emissions by 5.2% from the 1990 level. Developing countries do not have an obligation to reduce emissions. However, the Kyoto Protocol did not come into effect until February 2005. The U.S. is still refusing to sign this Protocol. China signed the Protocol in 2002, but as a developing country, China doesn’t have any obligation to reduce emissions.

    “京都议定书”

    全球气温升高的问题并不是最近才被提出来的，早在1992年，154个国家就在巴西里约热内卢召开了“地球高峰会”，签署了“联合国气候变化框架公约”。1997年，联合国又在日本京都召开会议，进一步签署具有法律约束力的温室气体减排协议，称为“联合国气候变化框架公约的京都议定书”，简称“京都议定书”。37个工业化国家承诺，与1990年温室气体排放量相比减排5.2%，发展中国家没有减排的义务。不过，由于各国的不同考虑，“京都议定书”直 到2005年2月才生效。美国至今还未同意生效。我国于2002年核准“京都议定书”，但由于是发展中国家，不受温室气体排放的限制。

     Carbon emission

     To implement the Kyoto Protocol, the most important data needed is how much CO2 is  being emitted. To make the calculation simple, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has developed a method which basically adds the carbon element in the fuel and oxygen element together to see how much CO2 has been produced in the burning process.

    Clean Development Mechanism
    （CDM）

     The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) is an arrangement under the Kyoto Protocol. Industrialized countries with a greenhouse gas reduction commitment (called Annex I countries) invest in ventures that reduce emissions in developing countries and get carbon credit. According to a recent statistic, China benefits most from CDM. It generates most of the CDM projects.

    碳排放量

    实施“京都议定书”，最主要的是要知道二氧化碳的排放量。为了方便计算，联合国政府间气候变化问题研究小组设计出以化学当量为概念，将燃料中的碳元素含量以及燃烧后加入的氧元素加起来，计算出二氧化碳的排放量。   

    清洁发展机制

    这是“京都议定书”允许的减排方式之一。被列为附件一的工业化国家，通过资金或技术协助发展中国家减少温室气体排放，可共同分配因此获得的碳权。根据最近的统计资料显示，中国是清洁发展机制受益最大的国家，绝大多数的清洁发展机制项目落户在中国。

     Carbon Capture and Storage
    （CCS）

    If you  read Common Talk Weekly last week, you will be quite familiar with CCS. In general, CCS  captures CO2 emitted from major emitters such as power stations and steel mills. It purifies the CO2 and compresses it into liquid and stores it underground or below the ocean. By now, CCS is still not in commercial use. However, many organizations and experts have seen this as one of the vital technologies to reduce CO2 in large quantities, especially in China where coal power plants are the dominant power source.

    二氧化碳捕捉与封存

    如果你看了我们上期的内容，相信你对这个概念已经有了比较深的了解。总的说来， 该技术捕捉火力发电厂、钢厂等主要二氧化碳排放来源，提纯并且把二氧化碳压缩成液态，最后封存到地低或者海底。迄今为止，相关技术还未进入大型商业化阶段，但许多机构与专家已经视该技术为减排的重要措施之一，特别是在以煤电为主的中国。

    Carbon trading

    The Kyoto Protocol has made it clear that industrial countries could get carbon credit through voluntary reduction or CDM projects. These carbon credits could be sold in the future market. Many companies, such as electricity companies, may need to buy extra carbon credits when exceeding their emission allowance, while some companies could sell extra carbon credits to the market.

     碳排放交易

     “京都议定书”中的工业化国家通过自行减排或者清洁能源机制得到的碳权，可以拿到期货市场上交易。许多企业，比如电力企业，可能排放量超过所允许的范围，就需要到这个市场购买碳权；而有些企业则可以把多出来的碳权拿到市场上出售。    .