Senate Says Yes to Doha Amendment of Kyoto Protocol

Valerie Woods

The Kyoto Protocol is an international agreement related to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, so named after a city in Japan.  The treaty signed in 2012, commits its parties by setting internationally binding emission reduction targets for greenhouse gases.  A few years later, the Doha Amendment was ratified, reflecting changes to the Kyoto Protocol, adding new emission reduction targets for a period of eight years, from 2012 to 2020.  On Thursday in the Senate, a resolution was passed authorizing the acceptance by Belize of the Doha Amendment.

Valerie Woods, P.U.P. Senator

“This comes perhaps coincidentally at a time when we really have something to champion regarding us coming off the list of World Heritage Sites being in danger and that certainly was done with a bipartisan approach, another rare occasion that we have that here.  But I found it rather coincidental that this comes right after such a momentous occasion, but I am curious as to knowing, to understanding why it took six years, if I read it correctly.”

Mark Lizarraga

Mark Lizarraga, Private Sector Senator

“Mr. President, while we support all initiatives to move along this direction, what I and my colleagues would like to ask is what tools do we have in place to measure our compliance, if any, and can we hear on that.”

Godwin Hulse

Godwin Hulse, Leader of Govt. Business

“I don’t know why we took six years to bring the amendment.  I notice that some of these things take quite a long time before we get them up, but we can find out from foreign affairs.  To answer Senator Lizarraga’s question, tools in place, generally if you understand we have, and I thank the honorable senator for referring to the fact that our reef is once more re-established as a heritage and that is a good move and it’s something that we should all applaud.  We as a country, I don’t think have to invest any significant amount of money to monitor compliance because the emitters of any noxious oxide or sulfurs, et cetera… Those factories and firms that would do that are subject in this country to rigorous environmental analysis.  There is an EIA done, there is an ECP that must be complied with and to be honest, Belize is quite rigorous with respect to those.  So we do comply even in absence of having signed the protocol.”