Japanese Trade Union Confederation (RENGO)

Statement: Russia decides to ratify the Kyoto Protocol

1. The Russian Cabinet decided on 30 September 2004 to endorse the Kyoto Protocol and will send it to the Duma, or Parliament, for ratification. The Duma is controlled by United Russia, a ruling party led by President Putin, making ratification a virtual certainty.
   
   To take effect, the Protocol needs to be ratified by industrialised countries that in total produced at least 55 percent of global greenhouse emissions in 1990. With the Russian ratification, the Protocol would go into legal effect 90 day later.
   
   RENGO has continued to call for early enforcement of the Protocol and effective measures to preventive global warming. We welcomes the endorsement of the Protocol by the Russian Cabinet as a significant step-forward in making the Protocol enforced and preventing further global warming.



2. Having already ratified the Protocol and with a view to assuming its role in the international community, Japan has an unambiguous commitment to the 6% gas emissions reduction.
   
   The Protocol requires Japan to reduce gas emissions to the level 6% below that of 1990 from 2008 throughout 2012. Japan is now in the review process of the New Guideline for Measures to Prevent Global Warming towards its Second Step.
   
   However, it would be impossible to achieve the 6% reduction without drastic enhancement of measures, as its emissions in fiscal 2002 were 7.6% higher than 1990 levels.



3. RENGO has been urging all relevant actors to recognise that giving the highest policy priority to global warming measures would lead to improved international competitiveness in technical innovation in the area of environment and then create new resources for growth. It is necessary for the central and local governments, enterprises, trade unions and the general public to be united in tackling the problem.
   
   The Koizumi Administration must seriously face the changing global situation and the current situation of Japan’s global warming measures and then demonstrate strong leadership in promoting the measures.
   
   Noting a critical situation of global warming and lack of significant progresses in promoting the measures, RENGO will continue working on the 6% reduction, as well as a model of a good economic-environmental cycle. It will also further strengthen “RENGO Eco-life 21” campaign in cooperation with a wide range of the people, including the central and local governments and enterprises, with a view to promoting a shift of our sense of values from mass production, mass consumption and mass waste.