The government is seeking ways to address global climate changes. The Ministry of Environment and the Korea Meteorological Agency will open related seminars in Seoul, Ulsan and Yeosu as part of efforts to mitigate the impact of global climate changes. The Foreign Ministry also plans to hold a similar forum next month. The Seoul government has implemented a comprehensive two-stage policy on the environmental issue since 1999 and will devise the third stage by the end of the year. Under the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, industrialized nations are obliged to bring greenhouse emissions to 108 percent of 1990 levels by 2008. Carbon-based pollution of so-called "greenhouse gases" results from burning fossil fuels and has been blamed for global warming.