The economic costs of signing the Kyoto Protocol in its current form could result in as much as a 37 percent drop in Turkey's Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which was $148 billion in 2006, reported a paper prepared by the state agency responsible for charting the progress and possible repercussions of projects.Turkey is hardly a bastion of environmental cleanliness and before the rise of China, which has seen it end up with 16 of the world's 20 most polluted cities including the entire top 10, Ankara was right up there in the top two or three. In fact, I remember that years ago it was in the list along with Bangkok and Mexico City that Australian diplomats could refuse to serve in due to the pollution.
According to the report presented by the State Planning Organization (DPT) to the Parliament commission investigating the matter, by signing the protocol Turkey would be willingly accepting responsibility to undertake certain measures and the repercussions of these measures could cost between 10 to 37 percent of the GDP.
The Kyoto Protocol would see Turkey decrease its carbon emission, while providing the opportunity to increase such emissions to countries like Greece, Norway, Australia and Portugal.
Turkey is in the process of trying to join the European Union and entry talks started in 2005. One of the conditions imposed on them is to ratify Kyoto. Thus, they have to choose whether any economic benefit achieved by joining is enough to overcome the burden imposed by Kyoto. Turkey's entry to the EU is extremely problematic anyway and it will be interesting to see whether they roll over on the Kyoto issue in order to be, as Libyan leader Gaddafi says "...an Islamic Trojan Horse inside the European Union if it is allowed to join the bloc, to the advantage of Al Qaeda terror chief Osama bin Laden and other extremists."
(h/t - Tim Blair)
2 comments:
Jack, I tried to post several times under the Google/Blooger identity. Worked about twice till now. Bugger it, I'm now an Other identidy.
Turkey, to their credit, has done some real math. And it doesn't stack up, so to speak. I cannot see the rest of EU counties wanting to disadvantage themselves with big costs by truly implementing Kyoto, so is it a crock? How binding is it in the EU? Ratifying Kyoto to become a member of the EU is pretty ordinary. I suppose the pragmatic position for Turkey is to ratify the protocol, and then do your own thing. Ratifying sounds like cooking a dead rat. Maybe that's Kyoto.
A pity the world cannot have the same dedication to trade. Australia have been a leader in reducing trade barriers since the 1980s through GATT, now run through what is called the WTO. I believe the world has a lot to gain from freeing up trade.
Cheers
Stevo
Stevo - Russia wasn't going to ratify either but it was a condition of joining the WTO so they did.
I agree re trade. Lower corporate taxes and free up trade in Africa and watch things improve there at a rapid rate.
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