Rysslands vice utrikesminister om klimatfrågan

Hade tillfälle att lyssna till Rysslands vice utrikesminister Alexander Yakovenko i St. Petersburg för ett par veckor sedan.
Med tanke på det omtalade G8-mötet kan det vara intressant att ta del av delar av hans tal framfört strax innan.


......Nowadays environmental issues, environmental protection and sustainable development all play a key role in today’s international agenda. In nature there are no borders so in order to preserve the fragile ecological balance of our planet, all countries must be involved without exception. In this Russia has a special role because of its unique natural and ecological resources.

When it comes to the formulation of the agreed decisions by the international community regarding the conservation of nature, the rightful thanks go to the United Nations.

.......Russia is one of the most active members of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development, which is another very important field of work.

........Within the UN we are promoting Russian approaches to climate protection, combating desertification, preserving biodiversity and solving water issues.

....We believe that the undue delay in addressing the issue of accession of Russia into important international instruments in the field of environmental protection denies us the opportunity to influence the formulation of priorities for their activities.

....The attention of the international community is now on climate change. First of all this is related to the new proposed international cooperation in order to reduce anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere in the period after 2012.

.....Russia has always advocated and continues to advocate for the strengthening of an international cooperation in a constructive manner between the different regimes in order to give the effort against climate change a truly universal character.

....Today we can say with confidence, that Russia will fulfil its commitments to the Kyoto protocol which is in effect until 2012. We have all the necessary tools to fulfil this including the legal framework. Moreover, thanks to the efforts taken.

.....In conclusion, I would say that cooperation in environmental matters is not limited to the United Nations. The topic is now being actively discussed in the G8.