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The Third TEMM Ends with Joint Statement in Tokyo
The Third Tripartite Environment Ministers Meeting (TEMM) between China, Japan and South Korea ended here on Sunday after issuing a joint statement calling for close cooperation on environment issues between the three countries and urging the United States to actively work with other countries to bring the Kyoto climate treaty into force.
Japanese Environment Minister Kawaguchi Yoriko, Chinese Environment Minister Xie Zhenhua and South Korean Environment Minister Kim Myung Ja attended the two-day meeting beginning from Saturday.
The environment ministers exchanged views and reached consensus on various issues covering regional and global environment, such as climate change, air pollution, water management and marine pollution, said the statement.
The TEMM should play an important role in promoting environment cooperation and sustainable development in the Northeast Asian region, the statement said. The ministers also recognized that it is necessary to strength organization and financial mechanisms for successful project implementation, it added.
The ministers expressed great concern about the degradation of natural conditions in Northwest China and affirmed their recognition to formulate and implement projects to address this concern.
They also noted that a successful outcome of the coming Sixth Conference of Parties (COP6) in Germany is vital for bring the Kyoto Protocol into force as early as possible, and called on the United States to work actively, together with other countries, to attain a successful outcome at the conference.
The United States last month announced its retreat from Kyoto Protocol, which commits 38 industrialized nations to cut their greenhouse gas emissions by an average of 5.2 percent by 2012 compared to the levels of 1990.
The United States, responsible for about one fourth of global emissions of carbon dioxide, are demanded to cut their emissions by 7 percent by 2012.
The ministers agreed the fourth TEMM will be held in South Korea.
The TEMM was launched in January, 1999, with the precious two meetings being held in South Korea and China in 1999 and 2000, respectively.
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