The Kyoto Protocol, adopted in 1997, aimed to combat climate change by setting binding obligations on industrialized countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The requirement for at least 55 countries, accounting for 55% of global 1990 emissions, to ratify was a critical threshold for the Protocol to enter into force. Iceland's ratification on May 23, 2002, was a pivotal moment towards achieving this goal. By agreeing to the Protocol, Iceland signaled its responsibility in dealing with global warming impacts, which were increasingly recognized as a serious threat to environmental stability.

Global warming has wide-ranging implications for weather patterns, sea levels, and biodiversity. The Kyoto Protocol represented the first truly global attempt to address these issues through regulatory measures. Developed countries, including Iceland, committed to legally binding emissions targets while developing countries were not required to meet such targets, although they were encouraged to participate in reducing GHG emissions.

Iceland’s ratification was part of a broader movement among nations to recognize the scientific consensus on climate change and to take tangible steps towards mitigating its effects. As of this moment, momentum was building among some key countries, leading to more than the required 55 parties eventually ratifying the agreement, allowing the Protocol to take effect in 2005. Iceland, with its renewable energy commitment, symbolized the potential for countries to take proactive stances in international climate negotiations.