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Canada urged to stay with Kyoto Protocol

02 December 2011, Fin24
URL: http://www.fin24.com/Economy/Canada-urged-to-stay-with-Kyoto-Protocol-20111202-2

Durban - South Africa has urged Canada to reconsider its position of not entering into a second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol, officials said on Thursday.

Water and Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa called on Canada to recommit to Kyoto.

Molewa heads South Africa's delegation to the 17th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change taking place in Durban.

AFP reported that Canadian Environment Minister Peter Kent said on Monday that Canada "will not make a second commitment to Kyoto".

Molewa said the climate talks had to be inclusive to ensure a balanced outcome. The effects of climate change were real and already noticeable.

The Kyoto Protocol was an important first step towards establishing binding global emission reduction regimes which would stabilise greenhouse gas emissions and allow a common climate change agreement, she said.

Adopted in December 1997, the Kyoto Protocol founded multilateral rules governing binding targets for the 37 industrialised countries for reducing greenhouse gases.