Contributing to the success of the protocol was the economic recession of the time, as well as implementations already underway, such as the closure of coal mines in the United Kingdom, which made it easier for them to reach the 12.5% ​​reduction target (Schiermeier, 2012). Another factor that contributed to the success of Kyoto were the mechanisms created, such as the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). This allowed the Kyoto units to increase, meaning that countries that were assigned the amount of emissions allowed would increase as nations created a plan in developing countries to help reduce their own emissions. This allowed countries to meet their emissions targets through alternative options, should they fail to directly reduce their local carbon emissions (“Kyoto Protocol Reference Manual,” 2008). Although this factor contributed to achieving the protocol's target, it was also a factor that contributed to the increase in global emissions by not exceeding the maximum limit