"The world should prevent a bureaucrat in Moscow from wasting the efforts of over a hundred governments, thousands of companies and millions of people," Jennifer Morgan, director of WWF's international climate change programme, said in a statement.

With the United States refusing to sign the protocol, Russian ratification is essential for the international treaty aimed at controlling climate change to take effect.

WWF urged German Gref to forward a bill on the Kyoto Protocol to a government meeting next week, possibly paving the way for its approval in the Russian parliament, the Duma, in July.

President Vladimir Putin has sought to push the process forward and attempts are being made this week to try to gain the agreement of four government ministers responsible for the issue, according to WWF.

"However, WWF believes that minister Gref, who heads the lead ministry for the issue, is blocking the Kyoto dossier," the statement said.

A Russian Academy of Sciences official last week said that there were primarily economic difficulties with the proposal.

The Kyoto Protocol sets a 2008-2012 deadline for countries to reduce their emissions of carbon dioxide, caused mainly by oil, gas and coal consumption, to below 1990 levels.

Some 108 states have ratified the treaty since it was finalised two years ago.

But with the US and Australia refusing to join, the Kyoto Protocol needs another heavily industrialised country on board before it can be implemented.

Scientists say that billions of tonnes of carbon dioxide and other gases produced mainly by industry, some power plants, and motor vehicles are having a potentially catastrophic impact on the Earth's atmosphere and climate system.

SPACE.WIRE