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Climate Conference Submits Concession Proposal for Implementing Kyoto Protocol
The climate conference being held here has submitted a new proposal in an attempt to get the Kyoto Protocol ratified, a news release said Sunday.
The new plan allows developed countries to rely heavily on domestic forestry and other land use projects to meet targets, reducing the need for action at home to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
Japan, a key factor to keep the treaty alive after the U.S. retreated from it in March, has set as one of the prerequisites for it to ratify the treaty that more of its domestic forestry should be counted as emission-curbing projects as the forests absorb greenhouse gases emissions such as carbon dioxide.
The proposal suggests that the forests in Japan be counted as more than 50 percent of its efforts in curbing greenhouse gases emissions thus greatly reduce its domestic economic efforts to cut emissions.
The Kyoto Treaty sets provisions that the forestration could be only counted as a supplementary measure to curb emissions.
Analysts say the loosening of domestic efforts to reduce emissions reflected the European Union's eagerness to lure the reluctant countries such as Japan and Canada to ratify the treaty.
The new proposal weakens the requirement that non-domestic projects be "supplementary" to action at home to cut emissions, defining this principle only as requiring that domestic action be "a significant element" of action to meet Kyoto Protocol.
The plan fails to provide reliable or adequate funding for developing countries seeking to reduce their vulnerability to climate change.
It also suggests a binding compliance regime that would penalize countries that exceed their Kyoto targets.
Some environment groups expressed their careful optimism over the ratification of the treaty after the release of the new proposal. Friends of the Earth International believes the proposal provides the basis for agreement, "despite its weakness and loopholes," the organization said Sunday in a news release.
"The proposal would be the ultimate betrayal of the millions of people whose future security depends on real reduction to fight climate change. Countries like Canada, Japan and Australia must stop their obstructive behavior and commit to ratification," Friends of the Earth campaigner Kate Hampton said.
Environmental officials from over 180 countries gathered here from July 16-27 to discuss issues related to the ratification of the Kyoto Protocol.
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