UN conference on climate change has agreed to extend the life of the Kyoto Protocol

The UN conference on climate change has agreed to extend the life of the Kyoto Protocol, which controls the greenhouse gas emissions of rich countries, through 2020. The historic pact, which was agreed to by countries in 1997, expires this yearend. However, the new agreement only covers developed nations whose share of world greenhouse gas emissions is less than 15 percent. The protocol locks in only nations, excluding major developing polluters such as China and India, as well as the US which refuses to ratify it. The Protocol got extension with the EU, Australia, Switzerland and eight other industrialised nations signing up for binding emission cuts by 2020.