- Title: RUSSIA: GOVERNMENT SAYS IT NEEDS TIME TO CONSIDER THE KYOTO PROTOCOL
- Date: 27th September 2003
- Summary: (W8) MOSCOW, RUSSIA (SEPTEMBER 25,2003) (REUTERS) 1. SLV PARTICIPANTS OF THE NEWS CONFERENCE WITH JOURNALISTS; MEDIA 0.18 2. (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER ALEXEI GORDEEV SAYING "The Russian government looks at the Kyoto protocol positively but we say that the Kyoto Protocol, especially concerning scientific matters, does not answer a lot of questions." 0.43 3. WIDE NEWS CONFERENCE 0.50 4. (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) ALEXEI GORDEEV SAYING "The government in any country has an obligation to decide what steps it needs to take after signing the Kyoto protocol. Our leading scientists are asking officials this particular question. It is a very important step according to some documents but obviously not sufficient enough step because they are followed by concrete mechanisms." 1.33 (W8) (FILE) MOSCOW, RUSSIA (FILE 1996) (REUTERS) 5. SLV FACTORY CHIMNEYS POLLUTING AIR (5 SHOTS) 2.04 (W8) MOSCOW, RUSSIA (AUGUST 2002) (REUTERS) 6. SLV KREMLIN IN SMOKE CAUSED BY FOREST FIRES (4 SHOTS) 2.28 7. GV /SLV/MV FOREST FIRES OUTSIDE MOSCOW (6 SHOTS) 3.00 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 12th October 2003 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: MOSCOW, RUSSIA
- Country: Russia
- Reuters ID: LVA5TML5I7CYVIRFQALAH8DRAC9W
- Story Text: Russia has said it needs time to consider the Kyoto
protocol - a treaty which aims to cut emissions of the
gasses that cause global warming.
Russia said on Thursday (September 25, 2003) it was
broadly in favour of the Kyoto treaty, but it needed time
to consider the step to bring the landmark environmental
pact into force.
"The government in any country has an obligation to
decide what steps it needs to take after signing the
protocol," Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Gordeev told a news
conference in Moscow.
Under the treaty, countries responsible for producing
55 percent of greenhouse gasses, primarily carbon dioxide,
have to approve it before it comes into force.
The United States, by far the world's biggest polluter,
has pulled out, leaving Russia with the casting vote on the
treaty, which was agreed in Kyoto, Japan in 1997.
Many environmentalists had hoped Russia would ratify
the protocol before the international scientific conference
on climate change that opens in Moscow on Monday (September 29).
Although this hope has been dashed, others suggest
President Vladimir Putin, who must tell parliament to
ratify before it can take such a step, could speak at the
conference an commit Russia or approving the pact.
"The Russian government looks at the Kyoto protocol
positively, but we say that the Kyoto protocol, especially
concerning scientific matters, does not answer a lot of
questions" said Gordeev.
Many scientists say the treaty would do nothing to cut
the amount of carbon dioxide in the air, although it could
slow the pace of growth. But Russia stands to earn from the
pact. The post Soviet economic crash decimated its industry
and it now emits far less surplus it could trade to
over-polluters.
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