What is the Kyoto Protocol in summary?
The Kyoto Protocol is an international agreement between countries, worldwide, to limit emissions of greenhouse gases. Greenhouse gases are a major cause of global warming.

And global warming affects everything, colder climates in some parts, hotter, drier climates in others. Rising sea levels, water shortages, loss of bio diversity, and so on. The Kyoto Protocol is an effort to curb these, and other effects.

What greenhouse gases does the Kyoto Prootcol aim to limit?
    * Carbon dioxide (CO2)
    * Methane (CH4)
    * Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)
    * Perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and
    * Sulphur hexafluoride (SF6)

Which countries have signed up for the Kyoto Protocol?
At 18th April, 2006, 168 countries have signed the Kyoto Treaty, and 1.5 years later on the 3rd December, 2007, 175 countries have signed the Kyoto Treaty.

When was the Kyoto Protocol first open for signature?
The Kyoto Protocol was first open for signature to countries willing to participate, on 11th December, 1997, in Kyoto, Japan.
Of course negotiations began long before that date but this is all that needs to be said in the Kyoto Protocol Summary I think.

When did the Kyoto Protocol come into force?
It came into force on 16th February, 2005.

What are the Kyoto Protocol conditions for it to come into force?
In summary, the Kyoto Protocol knows three categories.
    * Annex I countries – industrialised countries
    * Annex II countries – developed countries
    * Developing countries

The Kyoto Protocol requires 55 industrialised countries to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions to target levels 5.2% below that of 1990. If unable to, they must buy emission credits from countries that are under these levels. Further, it provides that developed countries pay for costs of developing countries.
Developing countries have no requirements under the Protocol. They may sell emission credits and receive funds and technology from Annex II countries for climate-related studies and projects. Many Annex I and Annex II countries overlap.

Are the Kyoto Protocol targets across the board?
No. Some targets for some countries are higher than for others, depending on their emission status. For instance, the emission cut target for the European Union is set at 8% and 7% for the USA. Australia and Iceland are permitted to increase their emission by respectively 8% and 10%. Russia has a 0% target, due to its declined industrial output since the collapse of the USSR.

Have all countries signed the Kyoto Protocol?
No. Notable exceptions remains the USA as a major emitter of greenhouse gases. Australia signed the Treaty on the 3rd December 2007, hours after the swearing in of the new Rudd Labor government, as its first governing act.

Is the Kyoto Protocol a success?
Well, not having the USA ratify the Kyoto Protocol is a big problem as the USA also roughly contributes a quarter of the world’s greenhouse gases.
A number of countries have not so far met the Kyoto Protocol emission targets.
Even if it did, current projections call for the need of much bigger cuts in emissions than the Kyoto Protocol requires.
The United Nations now predict a rise of 10% in greenhouse emissions since 1990.

Further Reading: http://www.un.org/millennium/law/xxvii-23.htm