Rusia no se decide sobre Kyoto

El protocolo de Kyoto depende del "sí" o "no" de Putin

President Vladimir Putin has said that Russia has not yet decided whether to ratify the Kyoto Protocol, the treaty aimed at reducing global warming. Without Russia's ratification, the Protocol cannot enter into force. This report from the BBC's science correspondent Richard Black:

Even at the Kyoto Protocol's inception in nineteen ninety-seven, there were indications that some nations saw it more as a trade opportunity than an environmental agreement. Last-minute revisions were made allowing rich countries to keep their own emissions high, instead paying poorer nations to reduce theirs.

The country which would end up paying most, it was thought, was the United States, while Russia would be the main beneficiary. Now the US has withdrawn; and with it has gone Russia's main hope of making money from the treaty. In recent days Russian officials have said they won't ratify Kyoto without guarantees of income.

There's undoubtedly political pressure as well from both sides. When Canada was wavering on ratification a year ago, the US lobbied hard for it to withdraw, and it's likely the Bush administration has been exerting similar pressure on Russia; whereas some politicians from the European Union, the bloc keenest on Kyoto, have said that if Russia wants to be Europe's ally on other issues it must ratify.

Richard Black, BBC

inception
palabra formal para indicar el comienzo de algo

last-minute
expresión utilizada para señalar que se trata de algo de último momento

emissions
en este contexto, se trata de los gases liberados en la atmósfera

theirs
aquí, esta palabra se refiere a emissions

beneficiary
alguien que recibe ayuda o dinero de otro

ratify
aceptar o adoptar algo formalmente

undoubtedly
sin ninguna duda

wavering
volviéndose menos posible

lobbied
tratar de persuadir

bloc
grupo de países con objetivos similares