KYOTO PROTOCOL

(Moscow, Russia) For the Kyoto Protocol to become an international treaty, at least 55 countries, representing 55 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions in 1990, must ratify its provisions. Since the US rejected the treaty, the minimum requirements can only be met with ratification by Russia, which is currently undecided. This story explains.

President Vladimir Putin has been in no rush to endorse the Kyoto Protocol, which needs Russian ratification to take effect.

Speaking on the first day of the U.N. World Climate Change Conference on 29 September in Moscow, Putin offered no clue as to when his government might make up its mind on the landmark pact to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, saying his country was still undecided and pointing to theories that claim Russia could even benefit from global warming.

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"The government is thoroughly considering and studying this issue, studying the entire complex of difficult problems linked with it," Putin said. "The decision will be made after this work has been completed, and of course it will take into account the national interests of the Russian Federation."

He quoted some experts who believed Russia could gain from global warming. "They often say, half-jokingly and half-seriously, that Russia is a northern country and if temperatures get warmer by two or three degrees Celsius, it's not that bad - we could spend less on warm coats and agricultural experts say that grain harvests would increase further," Putin said. But he then added, "That may be so, but we must also think about the consequences of global climate change ... in certain regions where there will be droughts and where there will be floods.'' Russian officials must consider "what consequences there will be for people living in these regions; social, economic and environmental consequences."

Russia's emissions have fallen by 32% since 1990, largely due to the post-Soviet industrial meltdown, but they have started to rise again slowly amid the economic revival of recent years.

At this time, it's not clear which way Russia is leaning on the issue.