Durban (South Africa), 8 December: The adoption of the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol is a "false goal" which does not help reduce human impact on climate, said Aleksandr Frolov, head of Rosgidromet (Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Monitoring of the Environment) and deputy head of the Russian delegation at the climate negotiations in Durban, South Africa.
"Russia believes that the continuation of the Kyoto Protocol is a false goal, which detracts from the main issue, i.e. mitigation of impact on the climate system," Frolov said at a news conference today.
He recalled that the Kyoto Protocol member states cannot significantly affect the climate, even if they cut greenhouse gas emissions by 100 per cent, because these country account only for a very small share of global emissions.
Member of the delegation and head of the section of multilateral cooperation on the environment of the department of international organizations of the Russian Foreign Ministry Oleg Shamanov also reiterated that Russia does not want to leave the Kyoto Protocol but rather declines to accept quantified commitments in the second period.
"This decision (the second commitment period) will be neither ecologically correct, nor economically rational, nor politically expedient," Shamanov said. (passage omitted)
(Russia is against holding a session of climate talks in 2012 in Qatar because the law-enforcement agencies of that country used force against the Russian ambassador, said Aleksandr Bedritskiy, head of the Russian delegation in Durban and presidential aide on climate issues.
"In view of a blatant violation of international law by the Qatar authorities against our ambassador to that country, Russia is opposed to holding the next conference in Qatar and supports the Republic of Korea's bid," Bedritsky said.)