[NYTr] Australia's New Govt Ratifies Kyoto Protocol

[All the News That Doesn't Fit]

Agencia Cubana de Noticias (ACN)
http://ainch.ain.cu/mailman/listinfo/ingles


Australia Ratifies Kyoto Protocol

Havana, Dec 4 (acn) Australia's new prime minister, Kevin Rudd, signed 
the Kyoto Protocol on Monday only hours after taking office, leaving 
the United States as the only developed country refusing to sign on 
greenhouse gas emissions.

"Australia's official declaration that we will become a member of the 
Kyoto Protocol is a significant step forward in our country's efforts 
to fight climate change domestically and with the international 
community," said Rudd in his inaugural address before leaving for Bali 
to attend a UN climate change conference that began on Monday.

The Kyoto Protocol dates back to 1997 and expires in 2012. It commits 
the member countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by five percent 
in the period between 2008 and 2012, in relation to their 1990 levels.