In 1993, The Netherlands ratified the Climate Change Convention and, in 2002, the Kyoto Protocol. This information is obtained from the United Nations (UN). In the 1990s, the Netherlands accepted the Montreal Protocol and the subsequent amendments. For clearness sake, to accept or to ratify a protocol or convention is something different. Nevertheless, ratification and acceptance are not a free-ride for a country, but an obligation to operate in accordance with the concerned protocol/convention. But what is the Netherlands? According to the acceptance of the Montreal Protocol, the Antilles (Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, Statia and St-Martin) and Aruba are included (see the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)). Is the same applicable to the Kyoto Protocol and the Climate Change Convention? If yes, that would be great. Because the Climate Change Convention and the Kyoto Protocol deal with reducing the emission of greenhouse gasses and in particular carbon dioxide (CO2). Due to the operations of the Isla-refinery on Curaçao, the per capita CO2 emissions –31,9 tons CO2 per capita per year– are extremely huge on Curaçao, which is reported in 2012 by Inter Press Service (IPS) and the US Department of Energy. With these 31,9 tons CO2, Curaçao is the number fourth on the world ranking with respect to CO2 emission per capita per year. With this information and the ratification of the Climate Change Convention and the Kyoto Protocol by the Netherlands, SMOC would like to know:
– Is the ratification of the Climate Change Convention and the Kyoto Protocol with or without the Caribbean part of the Dutch Kingdom (thus the islands Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, Statia and St-Martin)? If with;
– Are the countries, that ratified the Climate Change Convention and/or the Kyoto Protocol, familiar with the CO2 emissions on Curaçao? If yes;
– What are the opinions on this of the other countries?