August 30, 2001
The Parties to the Kyoto Protocol achieved a victory for the earth’s climate by adopting a landmark Ministerial agreement at the resumed session of COP6 in Bonn in July, 2001. This agreement demonstrated the political will of the rest of the world to move this issue forward. It puts the Kyoto Protocol on a track for ratification and implementation, and sends a signal to George W. Bush that the world will not stand by and allow one country to dictate the outcome on this issue of critical importance to the health of the planet.
While this is by no means a perfect agreement, it is a major step forward. It sets in place mandatory commitments and the necessary architecture to put CO2 emissions on a downward trend in industrialized countries. While we recognize the need to strengthen the agreement in the future, the history of other environmental agreements such as the Montreal Protocol suggests that this tightening can occur.
CIEL sent a delegation to Bonn to track two of the most contentious issues within the Kyoto Protocol: compliance and land use and forestry. CIEL’s attorney Glenn Wiser advised key governments and NGO colleagues on the elements of a strong compliance system. On the issues of forestry activities, CIEL played an integral role in forming NGO positions and lobbying governments.