Russian backing clears way for Kyoto

RUSSIA'S Cabinet approved the Kyoto Protocol on global warming yesterday, clearing the way for the worldwide adoption of the document once the Russian parliament ratifies it as widely expected.

The protocol must be ratified by no fewer than 55 countries that accounted for at least 55% of global emissions in 1990, and Russia's participation would tip the scale.

The United States, China and some other big industrial nations have rejected the treaty. It seeks to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, which are widely seen as a key factor behind global warming.