What is the status now of the Kyoto Protocol?
Ministers at the Johannesburg Summit indicated their support for the Kyoto Protocol. The agreed action plan reads: “States that have ratified strongly urge those that have not done so to ratify Kyoto in a timely manner”. This declaration maintains the momentum to move forward the climate treaty. Countries like China, India, Brazil and Thailand announced their ratification of the Kyoto Protocol at the Johannesburg Summit. Russia and Canada have given strong signals that they will ratify in the near future. In doing so, the combined emissions of Russia and Canada would be sufficient to push the greenhouse gas figures over the required limit. The Kyoto Protocol will enter into force 90 days after 55 governments have ratified, including developed countries representing at least 55% of that group’s 1990 carbon dioxide emissions. As of September 2002, 94 countries have ratified – including all European Union member states and Japan, accounting for 37.1%.
