Industrialized countries' emissions on the rise

(CNN) -- The greenhouse gas emissions of 40 industrialized nations that signed the Kyoto Protocol treaty in 1997 have collectively dropped by an average of 5 percent below 1990 levels, the UN reported on Monday.

However the 5 percent drop, which was the 2012 aim of the treaty signed in 1997, was attributed mainly to economic decline in central and eastern Europe in the early 1990's.

Between 2000 and 2006 emissions actually rose by 2.3 percent, and it's that recent trend that threatens to undo the previous decline and worries the UN's climate chief, Yvo de Boer, ahead of the organization's climate meeting in Poznan Poland next month.

"The figures clearly underscore the urgency for the UN negotiating process to make good progress in Poznan and move forward quickly in designing a new agreement to respond to the challenge of climate change," said de Boer.

The Kyoto Protocol was signed by 183 nations but rejected by President George W. Bush over concerns it would harm the economy of the U.S., which has been the world's biggest emitter but is now rivaled by China.

Among industrialized nations, 16 are on target to meet their Kyoto obligations including France, the UK, Greece and Hungary, the UN said.

The UN report said 20 countries were lagging, including Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Spain and the biggest offender, Canada --its emissions rose by 21.3 percent since 1990.

The European countries that were responsible for the dip in emissions in the early 1990's, also saw their own rise emissions rise on average by 7.4 percent of 1990 levels between 2000 and 2006.

Experts say a new deal should be signed at the 2009 climate conference in Copenhagen so it can be ratified in time to replace the Kyoto Protocol when it expires in 2012.

Discussions at the December climate conference in Poznan will be based on a 2007 accord reached in Bali, Indonesia, when the United States, India and China indicated they would participate.

The three nations -- among the world's largest polluters -- have not taken part in efforts under the Kyoto Protocol.

The U.S. refused to ratify the treaty, largely because Bush said it would cost the U.S. economy some 5 million jobs and he believed that rapidly developing economies such as India and China should also have to face climate obligations.

De Boer said he did not expect U.S. President-elect Barack Obama to send a representative to Poznan.

But he said he expected the U.S. delegation would not be dismissed as a "lame duck" group and would "participate fully" in the negotiations.

Copyright 2008 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report.

All About Kyoto Protocol • Global Climate Change