CAN Europe: Ratification News

21/05 Norwegian Parliament votes pro ratification - as Europe moves ahead, Italy and Greece may spoil the EU party- Joint CAN-Europe & FoE-Norway press release (pdf)

21/05 Japanes lower house OKs ratification bill (Kyodo news)

16/05 Denmark passes ratifcation in Parliament (Reuters)

26/04 Germany becomes 10th EU country ready for ratifcation - English - German (CAN Europe & GERMANWATCH)

April 2002 - Industry voices in support of Kyoto break ranks with fossil lobby:

Canadian manufacturer criticies inudstry association over anti-Kyoto campaign - "afraid of change" (National Post)
BP Australia criticises government and industry stance on Kyoto (The Age)
Australian renewables industry says, non-ratification policy will cost ecnomy billions A$ (AFR)

11/04 Russian government takes decisive step in ratification process (pdf) (WWF)

11/04 Sponish Parliament passes Kyoto Protocol unanimously (pdf) (GP Spain)

29/03 Japanese government presents Kyoto Protocol bill to Diet (Kyodo)

23/03 German Parliament (Bundestag) adopts ratification bill (Xinhua)

22/03 Norway proposes ratification of Kyoto Protocol (FT archive)

21/03 Austrian lower ratifies Protocol (Der Standard - german)

20/03 Slovakian Parliament ratifies kyoto Protocol (BBC)

19/03 Japan: Analysis of new climate change legislation (pdf) (FoE Japan)

19/03 Netherlands decide to ratify Kyoto protocol (Dutch Ministry for the Environment)

15/03 India to ratify before October (India Times)

14/03 South Africa ratifies the Kyoto Protocol (All Africa)

13/03 Brazil's President Cardoso announces intention to ratify (Kyodo)

07/03 UK to complete ratificatio process by end of March (AP)

06/03 Swedish Parliament ratifies the Kyoto Protocol (Sveriges Riksdag)

06/03 South Korea intends to ratify KP in first half of the year (Korea Herald)

06/03 Jordan to sign Kyoto Protocol (Jordan Times)

04/03 Uganda to Ratify Kyoto Protocol (All Africa)

Special item: EU Council decides to ratify the Protocol

EU takes lead against climate change (Asia Times)

Activists Cheer Kyoto Ratification (Inter Press Service)

- news pieces gathered by the UNFCCC news tracker -

reproduced here only for education purposes and in order to save temporary web content

- news pieces were gathered by the UNFCCC news tracker -

reproduced here only for education purposes and in order to save temporary web content

for questions, please contact CNE's Matthias Duwe

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International Environment Reporter
Volume 25 Number 16 - Wednesday, July 31, 2002

Polish Parliament OKs Kyoto Pact, Clears Way for Treaty to Take Effect

WARSAW--The Polish Parliament July 26 approved the Kyoto Protocol, setting the stage for signature by the president later in the summer and paving the way for the international treaty to come into legal force.
Polish Environment Ministry spokesman Przemyslaw Szustakiewicz told BNA July 29 that Parliament endorsed the climate change pact on a 386-1 vote with 17 abstentions. The document is set to be reviewed by Poland's lower chamber, the Senate, in two weeks.
If the Senate amends the treaty, it will be returned to the Parliament for one more approval.

Once the protocol clears the Polish legislature, President Aleksander Kwasniewski will sign it, which is expected in mid-September.
Parliamentary approval came one day after Polish Environment Minister Stanislaw Zelichowski announced that the Polish Cabinet had given its OK to the treaty and submitted it to the legislature as the next step in Poland's ratification process.
The 1997 Kyoto Protocol obliges industrialized countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 5.2 percent between 2008-2012 as compared with 1990 emission levels.

The protocol takes effect when 55 countries accounting for at least 55 percent of GHG emissions released in 1990 ratify it.
So far, more than 70 countries have signed the protocol, but some larger polluters--such as the United States--are missing from the list.

Three Percent Solution

The combined emissions generated by the countries that have ratified or are in the process of ratifying the protocol so far stands at 53 percent.
Poland generates 3 percent of worldwide emissions, so once it has finished its ratification process, the sum will edge ahead to 56 percent, enough for the Kyoto protocol to take effect as international law.
Zelichowski told BNA July 29 that the vote in the Polish Parliament was of major significance to the future of the climate change pact.
"The ratification by the Polish Parliament, which was so overwhelming, will permit the Kyoto protocol to take effect," he said during a telephone interview.
During a news conference July 25, Zelichowski told reporters Poland will start trading GHG emissions when the protocol officially enters into force.
Zelichowski stressed the significance of the voting in the Polish Parliament. "The Polish ratification will permit the Kyoto protocol to take effect," he said.

Emissions Trading Eyed

Poland emits 30 percent less carbon dioxide than would be allowed under the Kyoto agreement. That could translate into big profits for Poland.
According to Zelichowski, Poland has a "deficit" of about 100 million tons of carbon dioxide annually which can be sold for about $10 per ton.
"This money [some $1 billion annually] can be injected into the economy and into the improvement of the environment," Zelichowski said.
The European Commission in October 2001 proposed an EU-wide emissions trading scheme scheduled to start in 2005. EU officials have said they hope to put the finishing touches on the Union's GHG emissions trading program by Oct. 17.

Zelichowski said Poland, which is expected to join the EU in 2004, should edge ahead and try to set its own terms in the market.
"We have to take a quick action since we are facing competition from Russia, which has a big [carbon] deficit to sell," he said.
The minister said that U.S. government, Belgium, and the Netherlands are interested in doing emissions trading with Poland.
According to Zelichowski, Poland has a plan to forest about 1 million hectares (2.47 million acres) of land. One hectare (2.47 acres) of forest absorbs about 16 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually.
This would allow Poland to sell its excess GHG emissions credits to other nations that have GHG emissions exceeding the targets stipulated for them under the Kyoto Protocol.

Debt-for-Environment Swaps

Czeslaw Wieckowski, head of the foreign department in the ministry, July 25 told reporters that Poland would ask the summit to approve swapping part of the debt that the African countries have incurred.
"They can use the funds for the environment or the development of the economy," he said.
He criticized the U.S. government for refusing to ratify the Kyoto protocol. "There must be a global sustainable development program," he said. "The United States should know that they can also be affected by the disastrous climate changes in the future."

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Globe & Mail

EARTH SUMMIT

Canadians support Kyoto, poll finds Ratify climate treaty, 76 per cent urge

By STEVEN CHASE
With a report from Karen MacGregor in Johannesburg.
Thursday, August 29, 2002 – Print Edition, Page A13

OTTAWA -- More than 76 per cent of Canadians think Canada should announce it will formally adopt the Kyoto protocol at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, a new poll to be released today suggests.
Federal officials failed to quell speculation yesterday that Prime Minister Jean Chrétien might use the summit to commit his government to ratifying the treaty to combat climate change.
Environment Minister David Anderson, who arrived at the summit yesterday, would not say how far Mr. Chrétien might go on the question of ratification of Kyoto.
"The only thing I can say with absolute clarity and full knowledge is the Prime Minister will make up his own mind when he decides and when that decision will be," Mr. Anderson told reporters on a conference call from Johannesburg. Mr. Chrétien is to speak at the summit on Monday.
The survey of more than 2,000 adult Canadians was conducted by Decima Research Inc. from Aug. 16 to 25 for the environmental group Greenpeace Canada.
While 76.3 per cent of the Decima poll respondents endorsed ratification at Johannesburg, nearly 11 per cent rejected the idea. Another 11.1 per cent said they didn't know, or declined to answer.
A poll of that size has 19 chances out of 20 of accuracy within 2.2 percentage points upward or downward, Decima said.
Greenpeace's Jamey Heath said the survey suggests Canadians expect Mr. Chrétien to include Kyoto on the busy political agenda he outlined Aug. 20 at the Liberal caucus retreat in Saguenay, Que.
"The Earth Summit is the first test of whether Mr. Chrétien meant what he said last week about an activist agenda," Mr. Heath said.
"The time is now ticking for Mr. Chrétien's legacy, and announcing Kyoto ratification at the Earth Summit will allow for a real plan to cut greenhouse gases to be unveiled in the Throne Speech this fall."
More than 100 world leaders, including Mr. Chrétien, are gathering at the 10-day World Summit on Sustainable Development, also called the Earth Summit. It is a 10-year follow-up to the ground-breaking 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, which laid the foundation for the 1997 Kyoto accord on reducing greenhouse-gas emissions that cause global warming.
The protocol will come into force globally once countries responsible for at least 55 per cent of the world's greenhouse-gas emissions in 1990 have ratified it. Countries responsible for 37.1 per cent have done so.
Russia, which is responsible for 17.4 per cent of the 1990 emissions, has vowed to ratify and is expected to do so this year. Canada, with 3.3 per cent of emissions, would bring the total above the magic 55-per-cent mark.
Mr. Chrétien risks a backlash at home from opponents such as Alberta if he jumps the gun at the summit because consultations and a final Kyoto implementation plan have not been completed.
"The call will be the Prime Minister's -- when he feels the discussions will be adequate," Mr. Anderson said.
He said Ottawa has spent five years consulting Canadians and doesn't expect everyone will be happy when a decision is made.
Separately, a newly released report on consultations on Kyoto this summer shows the federal government has failed to identify any significant business support for the deal.
"Industry participants were generally opposed to ratification," said the summary report of the National Stakeholder Workshops on Climate Change.
"A wide range of industry stakeholders expressed the view the Kyoto protocol is badly flawed because it imposes absolute targets on only a small number of countries."
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Copyright © 2002 Bell Globemedia Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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Globe & Mail

Insiders expect Kyoto approval by end of year

Caccia foresees support from most parties, 'would bet my last dollar' on ratification

By STEVEN CHASE

Friday, August 30, 2002 – Print Edition, Page A8

ZURICH -- Canada will ratify the controversial Kyoto Protocol by the end of this year despite Alberta's objections, two senior Liberal caucus members travelling with Prime Minister Jean Chrétien to the Earth Summit in Johannesburg predict.
Mr. Chrétien signalled last week that he will "probably" ratify the Kyoto accord to fight global warming, but this is the first time government caucus members have provided a possible date for Canada to ratify it.
"I am convinced we will ratify . . . by the end of the year is my understanding," said Charles Caccia, a veteran Liberal MP and chairman of the House of Commons environment committee.
"That would be my bet. I would bet my last dollar on that," he said in an interview on the Prime Minister's plane on the way to a federalism conference near Zurich, Switerzland. "The writing is on the wall."
Mr. Caccia said he expects Parliament will vote on ratification later this year and will approve it because a majority of parties, including the Liberals, the Bloc Québécois, the New Democrats and the Progressive Conservatives, will likely support it.
Liberal Senator Nick Taylor of Alberta said his sense is that Canada's ratification will occur around year-end.
He said provinces such as Alberta must realize Ottawa can't wait for them to come around.
"I think the ultimate decision lies with the federal government and they can't hope to have all the details laid down with 10 provinces before they ratify," Mr. Taylor, a former Alberta MLA, said.
Mr. Caccia, who wields substantial influence with Mr. Chrétien on environmental matters and recently forced the Liberals to toughen an endangered-species bill, said he thinks it will be difficult for the Prime Minister to announce ratification when he speaks at the World Summit on Sustainable Development Sept. 2.
Speculation continues on whether Mr. Chrétien will jump the gun on the Kyoto decision timetable and use the Johannesburg meeting, nicknamed the Earth Summit, to announce that Canada will ratify the accord.
Mr. Caccia said Mr. Chrétien may be hampered because of his government's commitment to finish consultations with the provinces this fall on a final implementation plan.
"I think politically there's a golden opportunity for him to [announce ratification in Johannesburg], but if he has this commitment with the provinces, he must honour his word."
Explaining his optimism, Mr. Caccia recalled that Mr. Chrétien told the Liberal caucus retreat last week that Canada would "probably" ratify.
"On behalf of all Canadians, we will announce an effective approach to achieve the objectives of the Kyoto accord, and probably to ratify it," Mr. Chrétien said.
Federal officials said last week that by October Ottawa will roll out a new plan on how the country could make the necessary cuts in greenhouse gas emissions.

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Globe & Mail

Kyoto decision up to Ottawa, PM declares

By STEVEN CHASE AND SHAWN MCCARTHY

Saturday, August 31, 2002 – Print Edition, Page A6

ZURICH, OTTAWA -- Ottawa will not let the provinces dictate whether Canada ratifies the Kyoto Protocol on global warming, Prime Minister Jean Chrétien said yesterday.
"We had a lot of discussion with the provinces and others, but there will be a moment where a decision will be made [and] it is our federal responsibility," Mr. Chrétien told reporters in St. Gallen, Switzerland, where he spoke at a conference on federalism.
"Canada is a country and the treaties are signed by the national authorities."
Mr. Chrétien, who said last week he will "probably" ratify the controversial agreement to reduce greenhouse gases, was responding to Alberta Premier Ralph Klein's suggestion that ratification in the near future would be a "betrayal" of a commitment to consult further with provinces.
The Prime Minister is expected to once again signal his government's intent to ratify Kyoto during a speech to the Earth Summit in Johannesburg next week and to address a possible timetable for the ratification decision, which Liberal insiders are saying could be made by or before year-end.
The Liberal cabinet is expected to receive a draft implementation plan for approval in late September or early October, which federal Liberals are hoping will build provincial and business support.
Sources say Ottawa will commit significant federal money to the plan to help entice fence-sitting provinces to support Mr. Chrétien's effort to ratify the global treaty.
Federal and provincial environment and resource ministers are scheduled to meet in Halifax in the third week of October, at which point the provinces will receive the plan and it will then be made public.
Mr. Chrétien suggested Ottawa has already delayed a decision on ratification long enough to accommodate the provinces.
"We have talked a lot about it. It's not new," he said. "We have waited because of the provinces. We wanted to make a decision earlier."
Separately yesterday, Alberta found an unlikely ally in Quebec when that province's Intergovernmental Affairs Minister suggested Mr. Klein's government should be allowed to opt out of Kyoto.
Jean-Pierre Charbonneau, also attending the St. Gallen federalism forum, said it is not fair to bind provinces to Kyoto when they have control over natural resources but won't consent to the accord.
"You must accept the fact this is a provincial jurisdiction. If you don't accept that, you say we live in a unitary country, we don't need the provinces, and we have only one government," Mr. Charbonneau told reporters.
Mr. Charbonneau, whose provincial government strongly backs Kyoto, said Canadian federalism can be imperialistic and archaic at times.
Manitoba Premier Gary Doer, also at the conference, dismissed the suggestion that provinces could go their separate ways on Kyoto.
"We can't have a situation where we have 13 separate McDonald's franchises having a veto over international treaties," he told reporters.
He said he would back Ottawa should it unilaterally decide to ratify the protocol over the objections of some provinces.
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Copyright © 2002 Bell Globemedia Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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6th February : European Parliament votes on Kyoto ratification:

No backtracking on burden-sharing agreement for Kyoto Protocol

Jorge MOREIRA DA SILVA (EPP-ED, P)
Report on the proposal for a Council decision concerning the conclusion, on behalf of the European Community, of the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the joint fulfilment of commitments thereunder
(COM(2001) 579 - C5-0019/2002 - 2001/0248(CNS)
Doc.: A5-025/2002
Procedure : Consultation procedure
Debate : 05.02.2002
Vote : 06.02.2002
Vote
Parliament has voted by 540 votes to 4 with 10 abstentions to approve the adoption and implementation by the EU of the Kyoto Protocol on climate change whilst insisting in the resolution adopted that the agreement on the allocation of greenhouse gas reduction targets for each individual Member State is fully adhered to. It also wants subsequent Commission proposals for tougher reduction targets to be issued under the codecision procedure so that Parliament can be involved fully.
The House also approved the Council Decision on the Protocol's conclusion well ahead of the March Environment Council in order to ensure that the EU retains its leading international role in pushing for its speedy ratification. However, MEPs across the board shared concerns that some Member States may have cold feet about reducing their greenhouse gas emissions and they want the Council to ensure that they do not try to renege on their emission target commitments under the 1998 Burden Sharing Agreement.
Press enquiries:
Mary Brazier
(Strasbourg) tel.(33) 3 88 763969
(Brussels) tel.(32-2) 28 42672
e-mail : envi-press@europarl.eu.int

Press release by Greens in the EP (pdf)

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Ratification in the news

This page lists only very specific news pieces.

For more climate related news please refer to our LATEST NEWS section.

Latest

Special item: EU Council decides to ratify the Protocol

International Environment Reporter Volume 25 Number 16 - Wednesday, July 31, 2002

Polish Parliament OKs Kyoto Pact, Clears Way for Treaty to Take Effect

Canadians support Kyoto, poll finds Ratify climate treaty, 76 per cent urge

Globe & Mail

Insiders expect Kyoto approval by end of year

Kyoto decision up to Ottawa, PM declares

6th February : European Parliament votes on Kyoto ratification:

No backtracking on burden-sharing agreement for Kyoto Protocol

International Environment Reporter
Volume 25 Number 16 - Wednesday, July 31, 2002