Russian PM signs order approving climate protocol

Russia’s prime minister signed a government order today officially approving the Kyoto Protocol on climate change and sending it to President Vladimir Putin, who is to submit it to parliament for ratification.

The order was signed by Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov, the government said on its website.

The move came six days after a Cabinet session to approve the 1997 protocol, which aims to stem global warming by reducing greenhouse-gas emissions.

The pact needs to be ratified by Russia to come into force.

It requires the support of 55 industrialised nations accounting for at least 55% of global emissions in 1990, and has been rejected by the United States.

When the Cabinet approved ratification last week, Fradkov said the pact would likely face tough debate in the State Duma, the lower parliament house.

But Duma speaker Boris Gryzlov said Tuesday that a majority of the deputies support ratification.

First Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Zhukov has said a vote in the Duma - which is dominated by the Kremlin-controlled United Russia party – was expected this month.

Putin’s chief economic adviser Andrei Illarionov led fierce opposition to the pact in Russia, saying it would hurt the country’s economic growth, but Putin vowed to speed up the ratification process last May in return for European Union support of Russia’s bid to join the World Trade Organisation.