WWF-UK: Stand firm on Kyoto at UN climate change talks
Access key details
This site uses the UK government standard access keys, as shown below:
S - Skip navigation1 - Home page
2 - What's new
3 - Site map
4 - Search
5 - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
9 - Feedback form
0 - Access key details
Section navigation
How you can help
Stand firm on Kyoto at UN climate change talks
Monday 28 November 2005
The Prime Minister must use his EU Presidency to encourage governments to agree post 2012 targets to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
As UN climate change talks get underway in Montreal Kyoto countries need to start negotiating legally binding targets after 2012, when the first commitment phase of Kyoto ends. Governments should also earmark 2008 as the clear end date for the negotiating process.
"The Kyoto Protocol actually demands that negotiations on the second commitment phase start now, not later," says Andrew Lee, Director of Campaigns at WWF.
"The urgency of climate change demands that Kyoto countries make a formal decision to negotiate more action and commitments for the future."
"The Prime Minister has been sending out mixed messages about the future role of Kyoto and must set the record straight in Montreal. Kyoto countries must recommit to legally binding targets in order to encourage other big emitters to come on board in the future."
WWF is calling on industrial countries attending the 11th Conference of the Parties of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the first Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (28 November - 9 December) to signal their willingness to reduce emissions much further. Some developing countries must also demonstrate their willingness to do their fair share and this should be the topic of negotiations launched in Montreal.
Delegates must also acknowledge that emissions trading needs to continue into the future and that business needs a long term framework to reduce emissions.
"If companies are to make the switch from dirty fossil fuels to cleaner alternatives they need to know that their CO2 emissions will be counted as a business cost after 2012," says Dr Richard Dixon, Director of WWF Scotland.
"A number of businesses in the UK have already called for Kyoto type frameworks to provide them with the long term certainty they need and the incentive to invest in low-carbon technologies."
Some countries have pledged funding to help developing countries manage the impacts that are already occurring and prepare for worse and WWF wants this funding to be delivered.
"Governments must deliver on their promise to assist those countries most vulnerable to climate change in managing the impacts already occurring," says Richard Dixon.
"Only if such promises are kept will developed countries have any credibility with key developing countries."
"The Kyoto Protocol actually demands that negotiations on the second commitment phase start now, not later," says Andrew Lee, Director of Campaigns at WWF.
"The urgency of climate change demands that Kyoto countries make a formal decision to negotiate more action and commitments for the future."
"The Prime Minister has been sending out mixed messages about the future role of Kyoto and must set the record straight in Montreal. Kyoto countries must recommit to legally binding targets in order to encourage other big emitters to come on board in the future."
WWF is calling on industrial countries attending the 11th Conference of the Parties of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the first Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (28 November - 9 December) to signal their willingness to reduce emissions much further. Some developing countries must also demonstrate their willingness to do their fair share and this should be the topic of negotiations launched in Montreal.
Delegates must also acknowledge that emissions trading needs to continue into the future and that business needs a long term framework to reduce emissions.
"If companies are to make the switch from dirty fossil fuels to cleaner alternatives they need to know that their CO2 emissions will be counted as a business cost after 2012," says Dr Richard Dixon, Director of WWF Scotland.
"A number of businesses in the UK have already called for Kyoto type frameworks to provide them with the long term certainty they need and the incentive to invest in low-carbon technologies."
Some countries have pledged funding to help developing countries manage the impacts that are already occurring and prepare for worse and WWF wants this funding to be delivered.
"Governments must deliver on their promise to assist those countries most vulnerable to climate change in managing the impacts already occurring," says Richard Dixon.
"Only if such promises are kept will developed countries have any credibility with key developing countries."
"Governments must deliver on their promise to assist those countries most vulnerable to climate change in managing the impacts already occurring,"
Richard Dixon, Director of WWF Scotland
Richard Dixon, Director of WWF Scotland
Climate Change Campaign
For more information about WWF's climate change campaign, which is lobbying the government and the power sector to reduce climate polluting emissions and provide a clean energy future, visit the Climate Change Campaign website