Christians have praised a UN statement that the Kyoto Protocol to fight climate change will become legally binding on February 16th 2005. The move comes after Russia handed over official ratification papers to UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan in Nairobi.

The Methodist Church in particular was quick to welcome Russia’s initial signal that it would back the Kyoto Protocol.

A new coalition, which includes a number of Christian agencies and is endorsed by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, was launched in October to fight climate change. Its aim is to mobilise millions of Christians around the world in the fight for the environment.

Russia’s agreement gives Kyoto support from countries that emit at least 55% of the world’s greenhouse gases. The protocol obligates 55 industrialised nations to make significant cuts in the emission of gases such as carbon dioxide by the year 2012.

The UN Security Council is currently holding a special session, and during this gathering, Moscow’s Ambassador to the UN, Andrei Denisov, handed Russia’s accession papers to Mr Annan in Nairobi.

Kofi Annan, described Russia’s move to the Kyoto Protocol as an “historic step forward in the world’s effort to combat a truly global threat.” He added that the formal agreement now ends years of uncertainty over the future of the protocol.

However, the USA, by far the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases, withdrew from the protocol in 2001, saying that it would gravely damage the American economy. President Bush’s administration also gave criticism to the protocol for not forcing developing nations such as India and China to cut their emissions immediately.

The Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Cormac Murphy O’Connor, who occupies the highest Roman Catholic position in Britain, and who is the former foreign policy adviser to Prime Minister Tony Blair criticised the US for refusing to sign the climate treaty.

Sir Steven Wall was quick to agree that that environmental concerns were paramount to today’s society, as he suggested that environmental disaster is a greater global threat than terrorism.

The Kyoto Protocol was first agreed in 1997, but to be implemented properly the agreement of countries responsible for at least 55% of global emissions measured in 1990 was required.

After the US pulled out, the protocol could not be ratified without Russia, who is responsible for 17% of world emissions.

After Russia’s historic move, industrialised countries will have until 2012 to cut their collective emissions of six key greenhouse gases to 5.2% below the 1990 level.

However, a number of top climate experts have claimed that a much more drastic cut of about 60% would be needed in the future to avoid the worst effects of global warming.