16/02/2005 - People around
the world today celebrated the entry-ïnto-force
of the Kyoto Protocl, the world's only international
agreement to fight climate change.
While celebrations are of the order, WWF says
that countries need to take another nine steps
to make the Protocol the success that the
world needs to avoid dangerous levels of climate
change.
This danger level is recognized by the EU
and other key players as a rise of the average
global temperature of 2°C above pre-industrial
levels.
According to WWF, to keep global warming
beneath that 2°C ceiling industrialized
countries must slash CO2 emissions by 80 per
cent by mid-century, with global emissions
cut by 50 per cent over the same period. Currently,
the Kyoto Protocol asks industrialized countries
to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to at least
5 per cent below 11000 levels by 2012.
“While it is a big step forward, the entry
into force of the Kyoto Protocol is just the
first step in containing the threat of climate
change,” said Jennifer Morgan, Director of
WWF’s Global Climate Change Programme.
“To make the intentions of the Kyoto Protocol
come true much more effort will have to go
into reducing emissions – and governments
will have to take the lead.”
