Munich

It was a rather forlorn party that took place last Thursday night at the Milan Conference Centre. On the penultimate day of the United Nations' climate talks, hundreds of delegates commemorated the sixth birthday of the Kyoto Protocol on Climate Change — but no one was quite sure if it was a jubilee or a funeral.

The subdued atmosphere at the ninth conference of parties to the Kyoto Protocol could be attributed in large part to rampant speculation that Russia may not ratify the treaty, meaning that it will not come into force (see page 756).

Partygoers no doubt also had their minds on the many alarming reports released at the meeting. The World Health Organization, for example, reported that climate change seems to be responsible for some 150,000 deaths each year — a figure that is expected to double by 2030. Another group asserted that a mere 2 °C of warming over pre-industrial temperatures would be “intolerable” for the planet (see Nature 426, 486; 2003).

But there was some Christmas cheer for those in Milan. Some technical details of the protocol were finalized, such as a scheme in which industrial countries can acquire emissions credits for financing land-use projects that absorb carbon.

The European Union also pledged €400 million (US$490 million) per year from 2005 to help poorer countries adapt to climate change by improving flood protection or irrigation, for example.

Non-governmental organizations applauded Europe's efforts but criticized the US delegation, which argued in favour of carbon sequestration over emissions cuts. “There is no choice between future technology and taking action now. We need both,” says Alden Meyer, director of policy at the Union of Concerned Scientists in Washington DC.