The protocol, which limits air pollution with carbon dioxide, will not enter into force unless Russia ratifies it, warned Loyola de Palacio, European Commission Vice-President and Commissioner for Transport and Energy. She was addressing a Madrid conference on, "The 21st Century: New Technological Opportunities for Air Transport and Its Users".
If Russia fails to ratify the protocol, "the European Union will face a bad problem-it will have to urgently work out other arrangements to limit air pollution by the many countries. Otherwise, we shall have to recur to fining and transfer production to countries which least pollute the air."
Summary pollution by signatory countries is to make 55 per cent of the global total-or the Kyoto protocol will not be confirmed. Meanwhile, such summary pollution makes a mere 44 per cent.
The USA, which accounts for 36 per cent of the global total pollution, flatly refused to ratify the Kyoto protocol. Russia's exhaust made 17 per cent of global in 1990, so its ratification may get the protocol going.
The European Commission Vice-President called all countries to step up R&D for pioneer clean and renewable energy sources.
