The Doha Amendment amends which of the following?

Concept

An amendment changes or extends an existing legal instrument; it is identified by the parent instrument whose obligations it revises.

For environmental agreements, distinguish the parent climate treaty from separate instruments on ozone-depleting substances, persistent pollutants, and summit declarations.

Application

The Doha Amendment was adopted in 2012 to establish a second commitment period, from 2013 to 2020, for the emission-reduction commitments under the Kyoto framework.

Contrast

• The Montreal Protocol addresses ozone-depleting substances.

• The Stockholm Convention controls persistent organic pollutants.

• The Rio Summit was a conference that produced instruments such as the Rio Declaration and Agenda 21.

Cross-check

The UNFCCC records the Doha Amendment as the amendment that created the Kyoto Protocol’s second commitment period, confirming the parent instrument.

Therefore, the legal instrument amended at Doha was the Kyoto Protocol.