The Kyoto Protocol was negotiated to implement specific provisions of the framework convention. The framework convention has universal participation; the Kyoto Protocol has almost universal participation. The major weakness, I guess, of the Kyoto Protocol—and I wouldn't necessarily characterize it as a flaw—and why we're engaged in these negotiations now is that it currently provides emission reduction obligations on countries representing less than 30% of global emissions. Clearly we need broader action if we're going to achieve a peak in global emissions and then the deep reductions that will be required going forward. It is for that reason we have these broader negotiations under way to build a more environmentally effective agreement that mobilizes action broadly, brings in the United States, and also includes significant actions from major developing countries.
