Russian government gives greenlight to Kyoto Protocol
01 Oct 2004
Moscow, Russia/Sydney, Australia - WWF welcomes the Russian government's announcement of a ratification package for the Kyoto Protocol, clearing the way for the treaty - the world's only international agreement to reduce emissions of CO2, the main greenhouse gas responsible for climate change and global warming - to become international law.
"This is a decision for which the world has been waiting for two-and-a-half years," said Jennifer Morgan, Director of WWF's Climate Change Programme. "Once the Russian Duma endorses ratification, the UN will finally have a binding multilateral agreement to combat climate change - a significant step towards protecting the millions of species and people at risk from climate change impacts."
Russia is the latest of 126 countries to support the idea that human activity is responsible for global warming, and that international action needs to be taken to curb this. There are now only two developed nations who have not ratified Kyoto, the United States of America and Australia.
Anna Reynolds, WWF-Australia Climate Change Manager, said, "In order that we keep the increase in global temperature to below two degrees it is essential that Australia makes the leadership decision to ratify the Kyoto Protocol and then commits to deep emission cuts of 60 per cent by 2050."
WWF also warns that it is premature to celebrate Russian ratification of the protocol just yet. Alexey Kokorin from WWF-Russia, said, "Even if the ratification procedure moves as quickly as possible, the very earliest we will see the process complete will be November this year."
The ratification documents must be sent to Russian President Putin, who will forward them to the Russian Parliament's lower house, the Duma. The Duma must then select Parliamentary Committees to discuss the ratification, and then vote for ratification in the plenary. After the upper house has also ratified, President Putin must sign the documents and then send them to the United Nations. Ninety days later the Kyoto Protocol will come into force.
Notes:
- A first step to combat global warming, the Kyoto Protocol commits 38 industrialised countries to cut their emissions of greenhouse gases by 2012 to levels that are about 5 per cent below 1990 levels.
- The protocol can only enter into force once 55 countries have ratified, including enough industrialised countries to account for at least 55 percent of total CO2 emissions from industrialised countries in 1990.
- One hundred and twenty-five countries have so far ratified the Kyoto Protocol, far more than the 55 countries needed. However, these countries do not yet represent 55 per cent of industrialised-country CO2 emissions. The US - the world's largest emitter of CO2 - declared it will not seek ratification in 2001, making Russia the pivotal country whose ratification makes the Kyoto Protocol become international law.
- Developed nations account for approximately 63 percent of global emissions, therefore their role in addressing climate change is essential. Australia emission input constitutes approximately 1.42 percent of total global emissions, making Australia the 16th biggest greenhouse gas polluter and the 5th biggest polluter per capita.
- Despite these figures, Australian has been given a low and easily achievable Kyoto target of 108 percent of 1990 emission levels. The latest greenhouse gas inventory report released by the Australian Greenhouse Office clearly illustrated that by maintaining current emission measures Australia will only fall short of the Kyoto target by approximately 2 percent. Therefore Australia can meet its' Kyoto target easily.
For WWF-Australia or Russia Media inquiries: Andy Ridley, 02 8202 1237, Mobile - 0415 865 992
