Putin Moves Russia Towards Ratifying the Kyoto Protocol

MOSCOW, Russia, May 24, 2004 (ENS) - President Vladimir Putin has announced that Russia will move towards ratification of the Kyoto climate protocol, a step that could rescue the international agreement on limits to greenhouse gas emissions. Since the United States rejected the global warming treaty, Russia's backing has been essential to bring it into force.

In a press conference Friday, Putin said, "We will speed up Russia's movement toward the Kyoto Protocol's ratification."

Putin made the announcement after the European Union supported Russia's bid to join the World Trade Organization. The EU, which has already ratified the Kyoto Protocol, had made its support dependent on Russia ratifying the treaty.

Russian President Vladimir Putin (Photo courtesy Russian Federation)

The aggreement between Russia and the European Union on entry into the WTO was reached between European Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy and Russian Trade Minister German Gref in Moscow, after nearly 10 years of talks.

Commissioner Lamy said in Moscow Friday that the conclusion of the EU-Russia bilateral deal is the first major step towards Russia's WTO membership, since the EU is by far Russia's largest trading partner, representing over 50 percent of Russia external trade. Russia is the EU's fifth largest trading partner. "For us," Lamy said, "WTO membership means a Russian market which is more open, predictable, transparent and efficient."

The Kyoto Protocol part of the deal was dependent on Russia, an energy producer, giving the EU a favorable price on energy.

Lamy said this was "an essential element" for the EU in part because "it will encourage a more efficient use of energy resources in this country, which fits with the EU line to see Russia ratify the Kyoto Protocol. Hence, the results of our bilateral WTO deal on energy are mutually supportive of the Kyoto goals."

Putin's Kyoto Protocol announcement was met with applause from environmental groups in the United States. The World Wildlife Fund welcomed Putin’s first clear statement in support of Russian ratification of the protocol.

“Ratification of the Kyoto Protocol is in the interest of the Russian state - its people, its economy, its environment," said Alexey Kokorin of WWF’s Climate Change Program in Russia. “We urge President Putin to deliver on his promise and advise the lower house of the Russian parliament to begin ratification procedures immediately.”

"President Putin's announcement regarding the Protocol irreversibly changes the agenda," said Jonathan Lash, president of the World Resources Institute (WRI).

Pascal Lamy of France is European Commissioner for External Trade (Photo courtesy Office of the Commissioner)

The rules for entry into force of the 1997 Kyoto Protocol require 55 Parties to the United Nations Framework Climate Change Convention to ratify the agreement, including industrialized countries accounting for 55 percent of that group’s 1990 carbon dioxide emissions.

To date, industrialized countries accounting for only 44.2 percent of their 1990 baseline carbon dioxide emissions have ratified the protocol, so Russia's 17 percent is needed to meet the threshold figure.

The United States pulled out its 36 percent in 2001.

Now, to win WTO membership Russia must conclude bilateral arrangements with other WTO partners such as the United States, China and Japan.