Russia approves Kyoto Protocol

The Russian government approved the Kyoto Protocol yesterday, giving decisive support to the long-delayed climate change treaty that should allow it to come into force worldwide.

President Vladimir Putin's cabinet decided to send the 1997 UN pact to the State Duma lower house, dominated by Kremlin supporters, for ratification. Opponents maintained it would harm the economy and do little to protect the environment.

Victorious backers of Kyoto, which orders cuts in greenhouse gas emissions to slow global warming, made clear they believed it would have no effect on the environment or the economy and that the decision was politically motivated.

The European Union hailed Moscow's decision and seized the moment to urge Washington, whose rejection of the pact in 2001 left it dependent on Russia's approval, to rethink its position.

"The fate of the Kyoto protocol depends on Russia. If we... rejected ratification, we would become the ones to blame (for its failure)," Deputy Foreign Minister Yuri Fedotov told the cabinet meeting.

Russia, which accounts for 17 per cent of world emissions, has held the key to Kyoto's success since the US pullout.

Kyoto becomes binding once it has been ratified by 55 per cent of the signatories, which must altogether account for 55 per cent of developed countries' carbon dioxide emissions.

The pact, so far ratified by 122 nations, has met the first condition. But they account for only 44 per cent of emissions. Russia initially prevaricated on ratification. But in May Mr Putin backed it in exchange for EU agreement on the terms of Moscow's admission to the World Trade Organisation.

"We warmly welcome the decision," a European Commission spokesman said in Brussels. He added that the EU was encouraging Washington to review its attitude to the pact. Environmentalists and experts were equally positive.

"Now he (Putin) can go down in history as the saviour (of Kyoto)," said Benito Mueller, an expert for British-based think-tank the Royal Institute for International Affairs.

Yesterday's meeting left unanswered the question of when parliament could practically debate ratification. The head of the Duma's international affairs committee, Konstantin Kosachev, suggested that was unlikely before the end of the year.

There is no time limit for the cabinet to send a ratification request to the Duma. Interfax said ministries linked to the environment had been given three months to work out practical measures arising from Russia's obligations.

Proponents of Kyoto say that apart from improving the environment worldwide, the pact would force Russia to upgrade industry to new standards and help it earn billions of dollars selling excess quotas for gas emissions to polluters abroad. Opponents said Russia would lose out.

"The Academy of Science confirms its position that the protocol is not effective and gives us no advantages," the head of the academy's institute on climate change and ecology, Yuri Izrael, told the cabinet meeting.

Mr Putin's economic adviser Andrei Illarionov warned that new environmental standards would cost industry more and undermine the Kremlin's plan to double gross domestic product in 10 years.

"Many economic calculations show that if the protocol is ratified, the doubling of GDP becomes impossible in the next 10 years," Mr Illarionov said.

But Economic Development Minister German Gref, Mr Illarionov's rival for Mr Putin's ear, said that when making the decision the cabinet aimed at setting a good international precedent rather than focusing on economic or environmental concerns.