Talks aimed at saving the Kyoto Treaty have begun in Germany. The talks are taking place in Bonn. However, hopes for an agreement are now in doubt following comments by the Japanese Prime Minister. Junichiro Koizumi said that Japan would wait until October before indicating whether it would sign up to Kyoto without the support of the United States. President George Bush has said that he would not sign a treaty that was not in his country's economic interests.
The treaty aims to reduce greenhouse gases. It sets down national goals and a timetable for reducing emissions of carbon-rich gases. The target is a 5.2% cut in global emissions by 2010 compared with 1990 levels. Only industrialised countries are tied to specific cuts. Developing countries are being offered financial and technological help so that they can become less dependent on production methods harmful to the environment.
