Kyoto renegades ponder voluntary CO2 targets

Countries not bound by fixed carbon dioxide (CO2) emission reduction targets under the Kyoto Protocol could instead adopt voluntary targets if a proposal from Russia wins approval next year.

Government and EU representatives meeting for annual UN climate change talks in Nairobi last week (16-17 November) asked the UN to study Russia’s idea and report back in May 2007. A final decision is not expected before December next year.

Moscow’s idea was initially rejected in December 2005.

Poor countries including China and Brazil have so far opposed even voluntary emission reduction targets, fearing they would restrict future growth and could automatically lead to binding commitments.

One European Commission source said the Russian idea was unlikely to work because the Kyoto Protocol itself would have to be rewritten to allow voluntary emission caps.

The conference also saw representatives adopt a five-year plan to help poor countries adapt to global warming. The principles and structure of a €300 million adaptation fund for the developing world were also agreed, along with a commitment to increase the number of clean technology projects in Africa.

But environmentalists were angry not to see more progress towards agreeing how to proceed when the first round of Kyoto commitments expires in 2012.

Delegates finalised a review of Kyoto and committed themselves to a second review in two years’ time. They also agreed a work plan for talks on post-2012 emission reduction commitments.

"If we carry on at this speed, we will have an agreement when the planet is already drowned," said Jan Kowalzig from Friends of the Earth Europe.

Kowalzig said Russia’s idea of setting voluntary targets could be helpful but only if it did not give some countries an unfair advantage on the carbon market. CO2 emission reduction targets are currently based on 1990 emission levels. Countries, such as Kazakhstan, that faced economic collapse after 1990 could end up with a huge over-allocation of emission permits to trade with other countries.

Emission trading has been operational in Europe since January last year. National allocation plans (NAPs) for the second trading period 2008-12 are now slowly trickling into Brussels.

Commission opinions on a first batch of NAPs are expected next Wednesday (29 November). Dimas has said he will not hesitate to reject plans from countries that have been too generous with emission allocations.

Germany and Estonia are likely to be among the countries failing to win NAP approval.

Countries not bound by fixed carbon dioxide (CO2) emission reduction targets under the Kyoto Protocol could instead adopt voluntary targets if a proposal from Russia wins approval next year.