Putin calls for global climate consensus

MAGNITOGORSK, Russia, July 15 (UPI) -- Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has called for an international consensus on greenhouse gas emissions.

The global community must reach a new agreement on cutting greenhouse gas emissions and Russia will continue negotiations to that end, Putin said.

His remarks came Friday as the first period set out in the Kyoto protocol, in which levels of greenhouse gas emissions are to be cut by the developed nations, is set to end in 2012, RIA Novosti reported.

Developed and developing countries have been unable to agree on further binding climate change regulations.

"Though the negotiations were held in a very tough manner, they were still unsuccessful," Putin said.

"We will continue the talks, because I personally think that the global community should go to the end and agree on common rules in this sphere, without shifting the burden to anybody else, but sharing it," he said during a visit to a steelworks in Magnitogorsk.

The next session of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is scheduled for the end of 2011 in Durban, South Africa.