Common But Differentiated
Responsibility
The position of some industrialized
nations on developing countries has often been criticized in the
developing world. For example, the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change agreed to a set of a "common but
differentiated responsibilities." The parties agreed that
1. The largest share of historical and
current global emissions of greenhouse gases has originated in
developed countries;
2. Per capita emissions in developing
countries are still relatively low;
3. The share of global
emissions originating in developing countries will grow to meet
their social and development needs.
In other words, China, India, and other developing
countries were exempt from the requirements of the Kyoto Protocol
because they were not the main contributors to the greenhouse gas
emissions during the industrialization period that is believed to be
causing today's climate
change.