amsterdam, december 10, 2002
canada set to ratify kyoto protocol
bush administration surrounded within
nafta
The Canadian Parliament will vote today
Tuesday on a motion to ratify the Kyoto
Protocol. The government, which has been
committed to ratification since Jean
Chretien's announcement at the World Summit
in Johannesburg, is expected to win with a
signficant majority.
The Canadian Cabinet will then confirm the
decision and Environment Minister David
Anderson is expected to go to New York to
announce ratification officially.
"The Canadian government has overcome the
best efforts of its own oil industry and
joined one hundred other countries by
ratifying Kyoto. This is yet another snub to
the Bush administration, who arrogantly
declared the treaty dead more than a year and
half ago," said Kate Hampton, climate
campaigner for Friends of the Earth
International.
Mexico, which has already ratified, and
Canada will be parties to Kyoto as well as
members of NAFTA (North America Free Trade
Agreement) and exporters of oil and energy to
the US. This shows that competitiveness
concerns aired by the US are unfounded and
can no longer trump action to protect the
world's climate.
The Canadian energy industry and the
oil-rich Province of Alberta have been
aggressively campaigning against ratification
of Kyoto and have proposed White
House-inspired schemes that would guarantee
continued growth in greenhouse gas
emissions.
However, a recent poll by the David Suzuki
Foundation showed that 74% of Canadians
wanted the government to meet or do more than
Canada's Kyoto target of a 6% reduction
against 1990 levels by the end of this
decade, which is equivalent to a 18%
reduction from today's levels.
In order for the Kyoto Protocol to become
international law, countries representing 55%
of industrialised country emissions must
ratify the treaty.
Given that the current governments of the
US and Australia are refusing to participate,
entry into force is now dependent upon the
ratification of Russia. President Putin's
promise to ratify was reaffirmed in
Johannesburg and it is expected that the
Russian parliament will pass the necessary
legislation in the first half of 2003.
"It is essential that Russia now ratifies
so that Kyoto can become law, paving the way
for real action to implement the treaty and
discussion about the tougher emissions cuts
ahead," Kate Hampton added.
For more information please
contact
Kate Hampton,
climate campaign coordinator for Friends of
the Earth International
Mob: +44(0)77 4896 7323
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