MOSCOW, November 2 (RIA Novosti) - Russia is ready to support and join a new agreement on climate change that could be adopted in December in Denmark, but on two key conditions, the Russian prime minister said on Monday.
The Copenhagen summit in December aims to negotiate a replacement for the Kyoto Protocol on climate change, some elements of which expire in 2012.
"Yes, we are ready to do this. But we believe it necessary to observe at least two issues," Vladimir Putin said.
Putin said one of the conditions is that all countries without exception join the agreement and the second is that the new document fully accounts for the capacity of Russian forests to absorb hydrocarbon gas emissions.
"Everyone without exception must sign this document, otherwise it would be deprived of all sense. Russia will also be insisting that it fully accounts for the capacity of Russian forests to absorb hydrocarbon gas, something that was not done in full volume in the Kyoto protocol," Putin said.
The overwhelming consensus of climate change experts, environmental groups and organizations is that the climate change is caused by greenhouse gas emissions due to human activity, which is causing significant damage to the Earth, although a minority argues that the possible impact has not yet been proven.
