A COP18 workshop calls on practical second Kyoto period

Reaching an agreement on the commitment to the Kyoto protocol was paramount, participants of a workshop held on the sidelines of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP18), currently held in Doha, said Tuesday. The workshop was held under the title “International Emissions Trading Association (IETA): Vote for Doha” and the participants stressed the importance of working collaboratively to make amendments to the second commitment period of Kyoto that were more practical and beneficial to both developed and developing nations. They said that the current workshop will look at the different possibilities for adjusting the Kyoto protocol. The representative of the EU in the workshop expressed his thanks to the State of Qatar for hosting an event of international caliber like COP18. He also expressed his appreciation for the well organization and hosting effort put into the conference. He stressed that member of the EU will honor their second commitment period which takes place from 2013-2020. He also said that the EU was still committed to the financial and technological backing of developing countries to become an active part of the international community. For his part, the representative of the Group of 77 and China stressed the group’s commitment to supporting the works of COP18 held in Doha. He also called upon countries who signed on the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol, to sign on to the second commitment period as well. He described the protocol as one of the main frameworks for managing climate change issue. The representative of the Arab Countries’group meanwhile said that developed nations have a responsibility to deal with the Carbon emissions and commit completely to the Kyoto protocol. The representative also called on developing countries to be more ambitious in their negotiations in Doha.