The Guadalajara Reporter

Mexico asks Canada to rethink Kyoto opt-out

Mexico has joined the growing worldwide call for Canada to reconsider its decision to abandon the Kyoto Protocol.

Environment Secretary Juan Rafael Elvira Quesada has sent a message to his Canadian counterpart, Peter Kent, urging him to change his mind, reminding him that nations must “cooperate with objectives that send a message of hope to humanity, principally to those who in these moments are suffering the impact of climate change.

“The Kyoto Protocol represents a multilateral scheme with solid rules and commitments, set out to save the planet,” Elvira said.

In a bombshell announcement last week at the climate change conference in Durban, Canada evoked its legal right to withdraw from the Kyoto Protocol, indicating that penalties as high as 14 billion dollars (Canadian) for its failure to meet greenhouse gas emissions targets was a significant reason for the decision. Kent said that Canada would continue to work toward an agreement that includes targets for developing nations.

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