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RUSSIA CAN RATIFY KYOTO PROTOCOL IF OFFERED MORE BENEFICIAL TERMS - EXPERTS

MOSCOW, May 19 (RIA Novosti) - Russia can ratify the Kyoto Protocol, but on conditions which will be more beneficial for it.

Such conclusion was made by the expert group "Russia and the Kyoto Protocol".

"In the present conditions the ratification of the Kyoto Protocol by Russia is inexpedient," said a member of the expert group, Andrei Sidorov (Moscow State University), at a roundtable discussion "Prospects for [Russia's] Joining the Kyoto Protocol" on Tuesday.

The experts believe that the Protocol has no sound scientific and ecological basis and is unable to substantially improve the global environmental situation. Hence, the document should be viewed as "a market mechanism of controlling financial flows of compensations for the damage inflicted on the environment," Mr. Sidorov opines.

Consequently Russia should approach the issue of the Protocol's ratification from the point of view of economic benefits.

First, Russia must make its partners to the Protocol agree to pay compensations to it for oxygen emitted by its forests to the tune of $1.5-1.7 million dollars, which subsequently will be channeled for the maintenance of forests, the experts say.

Second, the calculation of quotas and assessment of greenhouse gas emissions should be made more transparent and precise.

Third, and this is the main thing, according to the experts: a sales market and fair prices should be guaranteed to Russia, enabling it to get at least $5 billion per year from the sales of the unused part of the quotas and forward this money to the development of energy saving technologies and the implementation of the environmental programs.

"If the countries of the European Union and Japan are in earnest interested in Russia's acceding to the Protocol, they must make substantial concessions to Russia, ensuring preferential financial and economic terms of Russian enterprises' participation in the system of trading in quotas for greenhouse gas emission," says the expert group's report.

The round table participants also spoke in favor of the protocol's ratification for political considerations. They opine that the ratification of this document will give additional push to the development of energy saving technologies, which will help to change the climate for the better.

In the experts' opinion, in case of the protocol's ratification a political decision on the nationalization of surplus quotas existing today will be a must. This means that the surplus quotas, which took shape since 1990 must be owned by the state and the proceeds from their sales should come to the budget subsequently to be channeled for carrying out the social and environmental programs.