The final decision on whether Russia will ratify the treaty now
rests with the Duma, the Russian Parliament. If it votes in favour,
the Kyoto Protocol will enter into force and become international
law (2).
“The Bush Administration and its corporate cronies at Exxon have
failed to stop this treaty. They are now out in the cold as the
rest of the world moves forward to start tackling global warming,
the greatest threat to civilization the world has ever seen,” said
Kert Davies, Greenpeace Research Director.
The United States of America emits one fifth of the world’s
greenhouse gases, yet the Bush Administration has refused to
support efforts to combat global warming. Unless the United States
ratifies the Kyoto Protocol, the pollution reduction targets will
not be fully achieved. The largest contributor to greenhouse gases
is carbon dioxide, emitted when coal, oil and gas are burned.
“The Kyoto Protocol is just the beginning of a long fight. To
tackle global warming we must stop relying on oil, coal and gas to
meet our energy needs and urgently redirect our investment into
safer, clean sources of energy such as wind, wave and solar power.
We must also use our energy more efficiently,” concluded
Davies.
Notes to Editors:
(1) The Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is the first global response
to tackling global warming. As of July 29^th 2004, the treaty had
been ratified by 124 countries.Under the Kyoto Protocol,
industralised countries, responsible for 55 per cent of greenhouse
gas emissions, are bound to cut emissions of a basket of six
greenhouse gases by just over 5% for the period 2008-2012.
(2) If the Russian Duma votes in
favour of the Kyoto Protocol, Russia will then submit an instrument
of ratification the United Nations in New York. Ninety days after
the submission, the Kyoto Protocol will become international
law.
