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Honour
Kyoto
Agreement on
climate protection now no excuses
Bonn, Germany,
19th July, 2001: Ministers arriving today at the climate talks have
no excuse for failing to reach agreement on how to address the greatest
environmental threat of the 21st century.
Many polls have shown
that people around the world want you to take action now. Ministers need
to say that they will publicly commit themselves to ratify the protocol
now.
There is absolutely
nothing preventing the ministers arriving here from removing the stumbling
blocks that stand in the way of ratifying the protocol.
There is no escaping
the fact that the situation is grim. Thanks to President Bush, countries
like Japan, Canada and Australia are exploiting their new found importance
to leverage ever wider loopholes and carbon accounting practices that
are more rubbery than ever. For the treaty to enter into force countries
representing 55% of the emissions reductions must ratify. Without Japan,
that target will likely not be met.
Ministers should not
waste their valuable time speaking with Canada and Australia, who are
either stalling or sabotaging the talks.
The Kyoto Protocol
still provides the only global legal framework for emissions reductions
to save the climate and as such is too valuable too lose. The simple fact
remains. Those countries who are serious about addressing the climate
will immediately agree to ratify the protocol.
Look at this the
only thing that stands in the way of an agreement are the fossil fuel
companies who have these governments in their pockets. When you clear
away the technical language and the scientific studies, its all about
the vested interests of the fossil fuel industry on one side, and the
future of our planet on the other.
The thing they fear
most are legally binding emission targets that will impact on the sales
of there core products fossil fuels.
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