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India to pressure Russia to ratify Kyoto Protocol

By R.K. Radhakrishnan

CHENNAI Dec. 17. The Union Environment Minister, T.R. Baalu, has said that India, in association with like-minded countries, would pressure Russia for an early ratification of the Kyoto Protocol, a 1997 treaty that mandates a sharp reduction of green house gases (GHGs) by developed nations.

Expressing happiness over Canada and New Zealand ratifying the treaty last week, the Minister, who is president of the eighth Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, said that now the efforts were focussed on ensuring that the Protocol came into force at an early date. ``I have been talking to some leaders, including the British Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott, about the steps needed to be taken to speed up ratification of the Protocol by Russia. All of us are aware of the need to ensure that the Protocol comes into force at an early date and the Russian ratification is crucial,'' Mr. Baalu told The Hindu here.

The Protocol commits countries to reduce their GHG emissions, which heat up the atmosphere and are responsible for the sudden and unpredictable swings in climate, leading to severe droughts and unprecedented floods.

To take effect, the Protocol should be ratified by at least 55 nations that contribute to 55 per cent of the 1990 GHG emissions. The aim is to cut the emissions by 5.2 per cent below 1990 levels ten years from now, by 2012.

As of now, 99 countries have ratified the protocol accounting for 40.9 per cent of the emission contributors.

Canada accounts for three per cent of the GHG emissions while New Zealand is responsible for only 0.2 per cent emissions.

Mr. Baalu was hopeful that the Protocol was well on its way to become operational some time early next year, after the Russian nod.

``There should be no problem. We are speaking to our friends in Russia,'' he added.

International Non-Governmental Organisations were satisfied with the ratification by the two key members to the convention but said that it was time now to act fast to reverse the trend of rising temperatures.

The World Wildlife Fund said that the Canadian ratification posed new challenges to the United States.

The U.S., the world's single largest polluter and one of the 160 nations that negotiated the Kyoto Protocol, has refused to ratify it, saying that the move would hurt its economy.

The Bush administration rejected the treaty claiming that the move would cost the U.S. economy $ 400 billions and 4.9 million jobs.

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