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tuesday, 17th july
2001
no change: japan still the
'deal-breakers'?
Despite repeated questioning in Bonn,
Japan's Environment Minister Kawaguchi again
refused to clarify Japan's position on
ratification of the Kyoto Protocol. Their
behaviour threatens to bring the Bonn
negotiations to a crisis, derailing ten years
of talks. For Kyoto to enter into force,
countries representing 55% of industrialised
countries' emissions must ratify.
When Prime Minister Koizumi met the US
president, George W Bush, at Camp David last
month, he said Japan would try to persuade
the US to reverse its rejection of the
Protocol. However, the US administration has
said unequivocally that it has no intention
of doing so.
Japan says it has come to Bonn to
negotiate rules, with the intent of
considering ratification later. But its
demands for even bigger sinks allowances - in
concert with the obstructive Governments of
Australia and Canada - threatens the
integrity of the Protocol. Japan is trying to
increase the allowed contribution of sinks
beyond the concessions already offered in the
Hague and offered by the President of the
Conference before this meeting [1].
'Ms Kawaguchi and Mr Koizumi say Japan
still wants Kyoto to enter into force by
2002, but its unconstructive demands are
threatening the survival of the protocol.
Unless the Japanese government adopts a more
progressive position, and publicly commits to
ratification without the US, the chance of
meaningful international action on climate
change could be lost and the Japanese
blamed,' said Kate Hampton of Friends of the
Earth International.
'Japan is failing to grasp the urgency of
this issue. The Kyoto treaty is a small first
step to reduce our climate impact. The Prime
Minister must honour Kyoto and focus on its
ratification and implementation, without the
US.' says Yuri Onodera, Friends of the Earth
Japan.
1. Of it's 6% emissions reduction target,
Japan want to use domestic sinks to account
for 3.7% and no limitation on the use of
sinks in JI and CDM. This would mean that
Japan could completely avoid reducing
emissions from burning fossil fuels. Pronk
had offered a 3% contribution from both
domestic and JI/CDM sinks.
Contacts in Bonn:
Kate Hampton, Friends of the Earth
International, +447748967323
Yuri Onodera, Friends of the Earth Japan,
+49 173 195 3093
Ian Willmore, Media Coordinator + 49 174 160
4808
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