Montreal climate change talks keep Kyoto process 'on the rails'
Mon 12 December 2005
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All of the leading industrial nations that were signatories to the Kyoto Protocol have agreed in principle to extend efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions when the present commitment expires in 2012. The United States has agreed to be involved in future discussions.
China, the world's second biggest producer of greenhouse gases, has said that it will play a key role in future climate change talks and officials indicated that they strongly support the Kyoto process.
The UK Government described the outcome as "a triumph" while the EU's commissioner for the environment said that the result of the talks showed that "Kyoto is alive and kicking."
Environment groups were mostly upbeat about the outcome in Montreal, acknowledging that the threat that the US and other non-signatories to Kyoto might be able to derail the process had been avoided.
Related Links
Defra press release on Montreal talks
The Economist coverage link
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