Vol. 518 No. 6
364 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he intends, at the next conference of the parties to the climate convention in The Hague, the Netherlands, in November 2000, to press for agreement on a safe global limit, fairly divided among all countries, on the production of greenhouse gases. [12379/00]
As a first step towards stabilising greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system, developed countries have agreed legally binding targets for the period 2008-12 for emissions of greenhouse gases. These targets were set in the Kyoto Protocol in December 1997 at the third conference of the parties – COP3 – to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
COP6 in The Hague in November 2000 will provide an opportunity to make progress on outstanding issues under the Kyoto Protocol, to assist in delivery on the commitments in the protocol and the Buenos Aires plan of action agreed at COP4. Negotiations on post-2012 commitments will, under Article 3 of the protocol, be initiated by 2005.
