Friday, March 05, 2004
By Dominic Evans, Reuters

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Saudi Arabia's senior delegate on climate change talks said Thursday the European Union should accept that Russia will not ratify the Kyoto Protocol and the 15-nation bloc would hurt itself trying to meet its targets.

"We see very little chance, if any, that Russia will come on board," said Mohammed Sorour al-Sabban. "They have decided already even though they have not announced it clearly."

Saudi Arabia, the world's biggest oil exporter, opposes efforts to curb petroleum consumption, saying oil products are unfairly singled out in the name of environmental protection.

"We think that the E.U. will eventually accept the fact that they cannot do it alone, and even if they pretend to do that in order to continue pressuring Russia to ratify the protocol, they cannot continue for ever," Sabban said.

European Union environment ministers this week resisted a call to put off implementing Kyoto until Russia — whose backing is key to bringing the protocol into force after Washington withdrew in 2000 — gave its ratification.

Under the Kyoto Protocol the E.U. has pledged to cut greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels such as oil and gas by 8 percent of 1990 levels by 2008-2012.

Sabban said figures already showed the European Union may miss its target and that any additional measures to meet it would lead to higher energy costs which would hit E.U. competitiveness compared to the United States and Japan.

"They will also result in the migration of many energy-intensive industries outside Europe," said Sabban, who is also a senior adviser to Saudi Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi.

Italy was the only E.U. state to voice objections this week to momentum on implementing Kyoto, but Energy Commissioner Loyola de Palacio has said the bloc should rethink its strategy if Russia does not back it and several major industrial companies have voiced concerns over the scheme.

Sabban said coal production was still heavily subsidized in Europe, and nuclear energy was now being heavily promoted — despite the potential hazards — simply because it did not involve carbon dioxide emission.

He said doubts remained over the causes of climate change.

Scientists were discussing possible "carbon dioxide sequestration" in dry gas fields, or under oceans, he added. "It is realistic. There is much research being done on this to make it more economically viable."

Source: Reuters