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Canada pulls out of Kyoto Protocol

TORONTO (AP) _ Canada's environment minister said Monday his country is pulling out of the Kyoto Protocol on climate change.

Peter Kent said that Canada is invoking its legal right to withdraw and said Kyoto doesn't represent the way forward for Canada or the world.

Canada, joined by Japan and Russia, said last year it will not accept new Kyoto commitments, but renouncing the accord is another setback to the treaty concluded with much fanfare in 1997. No nation has formally renounced the protocol until now.

The protocol, initially adopted in Kyoto, Japan, in 1997, is aimed at fighting global warming. Canada's previous Liberal government signed the accord but did little to implement it and Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Conservative government never embraced it.

Kent's announcement comes a day after marathon climate talks wrapped up in the South African port city of Durban.

Negotiators from nearly 200 countries agreed on a deal that sets the world on a path to sign a new climate treaty by 2015 to replace the Kyoto Protocol, which expires at the end of next year.

``The Kyoto Protocol does not cover the world's largest two emitters, United States and China, and therefore cannot work,'' Kent said. ``It's now clear that Kyoto is not the path forward to a global solution to climate change. If anything it's an impediment.''

Monday's announcement was not a surprise. Canada faced international criticism at the recent climate talks in South Africa amid reports it would pull out of Kyoto. Kent had said previously that signing the Kyoto Protocol on climate change was one of the previous government's biggest blunders.

The accord requires countries to give a year's notice to withdraw. Kent said the move saves Canada $14 billion in penalties for not achieving its Kyoto targets.

``To meet the targets under Kyoto for 2012 would be the equivalent of either removing every car, truck, ATV, tractor, ambulance, police car and vehicle of every kind from Canadian roads or closing down the entire farming and agriculture sector and cutting heat to every home, office, hospital, factory and building in Canada,'' Kent said.

Kent said the Durban agreement does represent a path forward. Durban's accord envisions a new treaty with binding targets for all countries to take effect in 2020.

``It allows us to continue to create jobs and growth in Canada,'' Kent said.

Harper's Conservative government is reluctant to hurt Canada's booming oil sands sector, which is the country's fastest growing source of greenhouse gases and a reason it has reneged on its Kyoto commitments.

Canada has the world's third largest oil reserves, more than 170 billion barrels. Daily production of 1.5 million barrels from the oil sands is expected to increase to 3.7 million in 2025. Only Saudi Arabia and Venezuela have more reserves. But critics say the enormous amount of energy and water needed in the extraction process increases greenhouse gas emissions.

Kent said Canada produces ``barely two percent'' of global emissions and said the previous Liberal government signed onto Kyoto in 1997 without any intention of meeting its targets.

He said the Kyoto Protocol originally covered countries generating less than 30 percent of global emissions and now it covers just 13 percent. He said Canada is committed to addressing climate change in a way that's fair.

He said he would not be surprised if other countries follow Canada in pulling out of Kyoto.

Kent's announcement drew immediate criticism from environmental groups.

``The Harper government has imposed a death sentence on many of the world's most vulnerable populations by pulling out of Kyoto,'' Mike Hudema of Greenpeace Canada said in a statement. ``This is a further signal that the Harper government is more concerned about protecting polluters than people.''

<한글 기사>

캐나다 "교토의정서 탈퇴" 공식 선언

"최대 온실가스 배출국 美ㆍ中 규제못해 유명무실"

캐나다는 기후변화 관련 국제규약인 교토 의정서에서 공식 탈퇴할 것이라고 피터 켄트 캐나다 환경장관이 12일 발표했다.

켄트 장관은 이날 남아프리카공화국 더반에서 열린 제17차 유엔기후변화협약 당 사국총회(COP 17)에서 돌아온 뒤 기자들에게 교토의정서가 캐나다나 국제사회를 제대로 대변하지 못하고 있다며 "우리는 교토의정서에서 공식 탈퇴하기 위한 법적 권리를 행사할 것"이라고 밝혔다. 

이로써 캐나다는 교토의정서에서 공식 탈퇴하는 첫번째 국가로 기록되게 됐으며, 최근 위상이 흔들리고 있는 이 규약도 적잖은 타격을 받게 됐다.

켄트 장관은 "교토의정서는 미국과 중국 등 세계 최대의 온실가스 배출국을 제어하지 못해 규약 자체가 제대로 작동하지 않고 있다"며 "이제 교토의정서는 기후변화에 대한 국제사회의 해결책을 제시하지 못한다는 점이 명확하게 됐다"고 탈퇴 배경을 설명했다.

캐나다 정부는 온실가스 방출을 줄이기 위한 새로운 협약 체결을 지지하고 있으나 현재 교토의정서의 규제를 받지않고 있는 중국과 인도 등 모든 국가들을 규제해야 한다는 입장을 고수하고 있다. 

켄트 장관은 또 내년 말 만료되는 교토의정서 시한을 연장키로 한 유엔기후변화 협약 당사국총회 합의도 전향적인 해법을 제시하지 못했다고 비판했다.

그는 탈퇴 시점을 언급하지 않았으나 탈퇴하지 않을 경우 교토의정서 관련규정에 따라 거액의 벌금을 물어야 할 것이라고 말했다.

앞서 진보 성향의 전임 캐나다 정부는 2012년까지 온실가스 배출량을 지난 1990년 대비 6% 미만으로 감출토록 하는 교토의정서에 서명했지만 2009년 당시 배출량은 1990년 수준보다 17% 많은 것으로 나타났다.

한편 유엔기후변화협약 당사국총회 각국 대표단은 11일(현지시간) 내년 말 만료 되는 교토의정서 시한을 연장하는 한편 2020년에 모든 나라가 참여하는 새 기후체제 를 출범시키기로 합의했다.
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