"The Kyoto protocol does not cover the world's largest two emitters, the United States and China, and therefore cannot work," Kent said.
The world's top three emitters of carbon dioxide – China (27%), the US (15%) and India (7%) – have ratified the agreement.
The agency said that reductions in the carbon dioxide output of the United States and China, the world's top two emitters, would be critical to stabilizing global emissions.
News began filtering through of the deal between the leaders of the world's top two emitters of greenhouse gases – the United States and China.
By way of explanation, its environment minister pointed out that the protocol does not cover the world's largest two emitters.
If we don't have something in the US, as one of the biggest two emitters, then I don't see how we could get a legally binding treaty for other major emitters.
The last time this kind of reporting mechanism was used, with the toxic reporting initiative, it triggered a mad scramble by the top ten emitters in each city to get off that top ten list.
A World Bank report released this year cited Indonesia as one of the top three emitters of greenhouse gases, mostly because of rampant cutting of its forests, persistent wildfires and cultivation of its carbon-rich peat bogs.
There is a strong sense that the world's largest two emitters are working collaboratively to an agreement in Paris although they have slightly different visions as to what that agreement will look like.
The news that the world's top two emitters – who are together responsible for about 38% of emissions – would formally ratify the deal is therefore a major step towards achieving that.
