| MARRAKECH, Morocco - October 29 - World Wildlife
Fund today called on governments gathering here for two weeks of
global climate negotiations to finalize the Kyoto climate treaty so
that it can become international law by next September's World
Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg.
The Marrakech talks focus on completing the translation of the
landmark ministerial agreement on the Kyoto Protocol, achieved in
Bonn last July, into detailed UN legal text that specifies
precisely how each of the components of the Kyoto treaty will
operate. The Bonn climate summit forwarded a package of decisions
to the Marrakech conference, some already approved, and others
requiring further work. One of the key issues for Marrakech is
agreement on how nations will account for, report and verify their
emissions of global warming pollution and the amounts that forests
and land-use absorb. Though technical in nature, the provision of
accurate data is the backbone of the climate treaty that is
essential to ensure countries are achieving their Kyoto targets to
limit emissions.
"Government officials should finish the deal they started in
July, by agreeing on a complete legal text for the Bonn agreement,"
said Jennifer Morgan, director of WWF's Climate Change Campaign.
"It's time governments outlined their plans for bringing the Kyoto
climate treaty into force in the coming nine months."
WWF has prepared a detailed set of recommendations for making
the Protocol's provisions as effective and watertight as possible.
The recommendations refer to the operation of systems for emissions
trading, the Clean Development Mechanism and Joint Implementation,
sinks, measuring and monitoring emissions, compliance and allowing
public scrutiny of projects intended to reduce emissions of global
warming gases.
The Kyoto Protocol requires industrialized countries to reduce
emissions of six global warming gases five percent below 1990
levels in the period 2008-2010.
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