Friday 14 September 2012

Russia won’t sign up to Kyoto refresher

Russia has confirmed it will not sign up to extended greenhouse gas targets in the UN’s Kyoto Protocol because it considers such a move “ineffective” according to its Foreign Ministry.

A Foreign Ministry’s spokesman said yesterday the climate regime must be “truly universal”.

Russia joins Canada and Japan in failing to adopt emissions targets beyond the first 2008-2012 period. Russia said it plans to continue attending climate talks and to co-operate with all parties concerned.

The country said it prefers to focus on UN plans for a new international deal by 2015 which would mean developed and developing countries would limit gas emissions, starting from 2020, according to reports.