Moscow opposes changes to calculation of Kyoto quotas
MOSCOW. Dec 17 (Interfax) - Russia has on the whole welcomed the results of the Doha conference on the Kyoto Protocol, but pointed to a number of procedural violations.
"During the negotiations, the Russian Federation came out against approaches that introduce unjustified changes into the Kyoto rules regarding the transfer of the accumulated unused quotas for greenhouse gas emissions from the first to the second stage of obligations and change the principle of the calculation of the authorized amount of emissions. This directly affects the foundations of the mechanism of compliance with the Kyoto Protocol," the Russian Foreign Ministry said on its website on Monday.
The main task of the Doha forum was to sum up the results of years-long talks on long-term cooperation measures on climate change on the basis of political agreements reached during last year's conference in Durban, ensure implementation of the transitional stage - launching the second stage of Kyoto obligations while simultaneously beginning talks on a new comprehensive climate treaty to replace Kyoto, which should be prepared by 2015 and take effect in 2020, the ministry says.
"The Doha round on the whole fulfilled its task. But, unfortunately, the closing stage of the conference saw violations of the procedural rules, which seriously hampers multilateral efforts towards promoting a lasting and fair solution to the climate change issue," the statement says.
Russia does not seek to profit from quota trade, but focuses on the need to ensure the legal integrity and consistency of the Kyoto regime throughout its entire period of action, whereas "the above amendments actually change its configuration", the ministry remarks.
The delegations of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus prepared a joint compromise proposal regarding the Kyoto rules, but it was actually ignored, while another document that fails to take Russian, Ukrainian and Belarusian concerns into account was put to a vote, despite obvious protest, and passed allegedly by consensus, which does not correspond to reality, the ministry said.
These actions clash with the accepted norms and practices in the UN system and undermine the legitimacy of decisions passed in Doha, the statement says.
The 18th UN Framework Convention on Climate Change took place in Doha (Qatar) on November 28-December 8.