Stumbling stone at Cancun

Japan risks robbing itself of the pride in Kyoto Protocol and becoming an obstacle to further climate change action

Japan's unwillingness to extend the Kyoto Protocol is putting the global climate change architecture at risk and undermining the ongoing United Nations climate talks in Cancun.

Since the start of the Cancun talks on Nov 30, Japan's U-turn on the protocol has been noteworthy. Japanese officials have on several occasions expressed opposition to extending the Kyoto Protocol to its second commitment period, saying Japan will not make any emissions reduction commitments in this period.