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Russia ratifies Kyoto, starts in 90 days' time
(Agencies)
Updated: 2004-11-19 14:18

Russia formally ratified the Kyoto Protocol on global warming on Thursday, clearing the way for the international environment accord to come into force early next year.

The U.N. accord, backed by 126 countries, formally enters into force 90 days after Thursday's filing of the Russian ratification documents with the United Nations.

The documents were handed to U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan by Moscow's U.N. ambassador, Andrei Denisov. Both are in Nairobi, the home of the U.N. Environment Program (UNEP), for an extraordinary U.N. Security Council meeting on Sudan.

U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan addresses as Russia's ambassador to U.N. Andrey Denisov (R) announced his country's ratification of the Kyoto Climate treaty during the Security Council meeting in Nairobi, November 18, 2004. Russia formally ratified the Kyoto Protocol on global warming, clearing the way for the international environment accord to come into force early next year. [Reuters]

"This is a historic step forward in the world's efforts to combat a truly global threat," Annan said. "Most important, it ends a long period of uncertainty.

Denisov told reporters: "We believe it will be a very significant step in promoting international cooperation on climate change. This decision has great social and economic consequences."

The accord was ratified by both houses of Russia's parliament last month after which President Vladimir Putin gave his seal of approval by signing the measure on Nov. 5.

Satellite image showing the thickness of the ozone layer over the Earth's south polar region. Only four industrialised countries: Liechtenstein, Monaco, Australia and the United States remain outside the Kyoto Protocol. [AFP]

Russia's support become crucial after the United States, the world's biggest polluter, rejected the pact in 2001.

"We discussed it for a long time," Denisov said. "We believe this step will be helpful in preventing emissions of greenhouse gases, which is very important for all mankind.

The protocol commits 55 industrialized nations to make big cuts in emissions of gases such as carbon dioxide by 2012.

The 1997 Kyoto Protocol obliges rich nations to cut overall emissions of heat-trapping carbon dioxide by 5.2 percent below 1990 levels by 2008-12 by curbing use of coal, oil and natural gas and shifting to cleaner energies like solar or wind power.

To come into force, the pact needed to be ratified by countries accounting for at least 55 percent of developed nations' greenhouse gas emissions.

Russia, which accounts for 17 percent of global emissions, became the key to Kyoto after Washington pulled out saying the pact was too costly and unfairly exempted large rapidly industrializing countries such as China and India.

Russia signed the Kyoto Protocol in 1999. But it agreed to ratify the treaty only in exchange for European Union agreement on terms for Moscow's admission to the World Trade Organization.

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