| Author (Person) | Davies, Eric | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Publisher | ProQuest Information and Learning | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Series Title | In Focus | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Series Details | 21.7.03 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Publication Date | 21/07/2003 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Content Type | News, Overview, Topic Guide | In Focus | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Meeting at an informal Council in Montecatini over the weekend of 18-20 July, Environment Ministers from the EU and the Acceding States called on Russia to ratify the Kyoto Protocol. The Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change was adopted in December 1997. It contains legally binding emissions targets for developed countries, which are bound to cut their collective emissions of six key greenhouse gases by at least 5%. The Protocol will enter into force 90 days after ratification by at least 55 countries. Crucially, that number must include developed countries representing a minimum 55% of the total 1990 carbon dioxide emissions of their peers. The EU and the Member States ratified the Protocol in May 2002. The United States withdrew from the Treaty in March 2001. The decision led to significant tensions between the EU and US, partly because the United States' reason for leaving was self-interest: cutting greenhouse gas emissions was said not to be in its best economic interests. Without US involvement, the world is now looking to Russia to join the fight against global warming. Russia's Prime Minister, speaking at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002, said his country will ratify the Protocol, but there has so far been no date given. Indeed, Russia might be having second thoughts ... The European Commission has stressed the advantages which would accrue to Russia if it ratified the Protocol: 'Besides showing leadership in the world-wide efforts to combat climate change, Russia will have domestic economic advantages by ratifying the Kyoto Protocol as it will be able to participate in the so-called "flexible mechanisms" that the Protocol entails.' According to the BBC, 'Russia expects its carbon emissions to be down by 20% from 1990 levels when Kyoto comes into force in 2008 - meaning it would then be able to sell carbon pollution "credits", bringing a potential windfall of tens of billions of dollars.' However, an advisor to President Putin, quoted in Pravda.Ru, seemed doubtful of the benefits, saying they 'are somewhat illusory.' Mr Illarionov 'highlighted the fact that there has been no major research into the long-term consequences of ratification of the treaty nor an analysis of its effectiveness.' Perhaps more significantly, he suggested that, if the United States deemed Kyoto economically damaging, 'I'm not convinced that Russia can afford expenses that the world's richest country couldn't afford.' Russia's objections would therefore seem to be based on economics rather than principle. Nevertheless, following the informal Council in Montecatini, the Italian Presidency stated that participants 'stressed the importance of looking to Russia for the ratification of Kyoto'. The UN also wants Russia to ratify the Protocol. At a recent conference in Berlin (at which delegates learned that emissions might actually increase by up to 17% by 2010) the Executive Secretary of the Climate Change Convention, Joke Waller-Hunter, said she was confident that Russia would ratify the Protocol, spurred on by a forthcoming climate conference to be held in Moscow in September. If Russia signs in September, Kyoto could take effect in time for the UN's COP9 climate conference in December. Links:
Eric Davies Environment Ministers from the EU and the Acceding States have called on Russia to ratify the Kyoto Protocol. |
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| Subject Categories | Environment | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Countries / Regions | Russia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
