More than 190 countries on Nov. 26 started a new round of talks under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Doha, Qatar, to discuss global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions believed to cause global warming.
Japan should reconsider its decision to oppose extension of the Kyoto Protocol beyond its expiration at the end of 2012. If it sticks with that decision, it will be difficult for it to play a constructive role in worldwide efforts to fight global warming.
The Doha talks, or COP 18, which last through Dec. 7, follow last year's U.N. climate talks in Durban, South Africa, in which the participants agreed to try to conclude a global treaty by 2015 to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. If the treaty is concluded, it will take effect from 2020.