Should Russia Ratify Kyoto?
IPN Press release
1 October, Moscow – This week in Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and his economic adviser Andrei Illarionov, confirmed that Russia does not want to harm its economic prospects by implementing the Kyoto Protocol, an agreement that has questionable environmental benefits.
Experts from around the world agree that Russia should fully evaluate the costs and benefits of the Kyoto Protocol, which is only one possible way of dealing with climate change and may not be the best – or even effective.
Leading climate scientists believe that the Kyoto Protocol would not reduce global warming. Richard Lindzen, Sloan Professor of Meteorology at MIT (USA), commented: Leading climate scientists believe that the Kyoto Protocol would not reduce global warming. Richard Lindzen, Sloan Professor of Meteorology at MIT (USA), commented: "Climate change is inevitable as a result of natural processes, and regardless of human factors. The Kyoto Protocol or similar regimes will have an insignificant impact on climate. This is true even if one believes that climate change in the past century has been significantly affected by humanity, or that the model projections are correct."
Kyoto imposes restrictions on emissions of “greenhouse gases”, such as carbon dioxide and methane. These gases are emitted by nearly all industrial processes, including most forms of power generation. Restrictions on emissions would constrain economic activity and drive up energy costs, reduce investment, and retard technological development.
Experts also agree that through these restrictions on emissions, Kyoto would slow economic growth globally and especially in countries such as Russia. Martin Ǻgerup, economist and President of the prestigious Academy of Future Studies, in Denmark, notes “Kyoto would be particularly harmful to a country such as Russia, which is on the cusp of a period of rapid economic growth and technological development.”
Other experts are worried that Kyoto is being driven solely by vested interests. Dr Sonja Boehmer-Christiansen, of the University of Hull (UK) and Editor of the journal Energy and Environment, commented: “The Kyoto Protocol is being driven by green ideologues, certain energy interests and bureaucratic interests in the United Nations and European Union who seek to centralise their power, and use science selectively to support various agendas. The agreement is a misdirection of human efforts and intelligence.”
Representatives of EU member states have been cajoling Russia to ratify Kyoto but some experts believe that EU countries may be better off if Russia does not ratify. Julian Morris, of the University of Buckingham (UK) and International Policy Network, stated: “Kyoto would slow economic growth in the EU and in Russia without providing any substantive benefits. If Russia does not ratify, Kyoto will not come into force, so both Russia and EU countries will grow more rapidly and then can look for alternative solutions to climate change.”
Ǻgerup, Morris, Lindzen, Christiansen and other experts will participate in a press conference on Wednesday, 1 October, at 6pm at the World Climate Change Conference in Moscow.
