Moroccan government adopts Kyoto protocol
Morocco, Environment, 11/2/2001

The Moroccan government adopted on Thursday at its weekly meeting the Kyoto protocol of the United Nations framework agreement on climatic changes.

The protocol provides for measures to encourage developed countries reduce gas emissions responsible for global warming.

It aims to cut emissions of greenhouses gases by an average of 5 percent from 1990 levels by 2012.

The protocol was adopted as Morocco is hosting key talks to seal an unprecedented climate change treaty. 2,000 delegates from 160 countries have two weeks to set out in legal detail principles adopted in Bonn in July on making significant cuts in the next decade in emissions of the "greenhouse gases" blamed for raising the earth's temperature.

The treaty, or Kyoto Protocol, was forged in 1997 in Japan. It needs ratification by a majority of industrial nations responsible for global warming in order to take effect.

The United States, which is the world's biggest industrial power and largest polluter, pulled out of the Kyoto Protocol in March, calling it flawed and harmful to the U.S. economy.

The treaty will enter into force if ratified by 55 countries responsible for 55% of emissions in 1990. Russia produced about 17 percent of those 11 years ago.

So far, 40 nations have ratified the treaty.

The Marrakesh meeting, attended by some 4,000 people including non-governmental organizations and the press, is known as COP7, the seventh conference of the parties to a U.N. treaty signed in 1992 at the first Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro.

Previous Stories:
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