"What Australia wants to do is engage the major emitters in a comprehensive agreement," Campbell told national broadcaster ABC.
Australia is one of only three countries allowed to raise emissions under the Kyoto rubric. It was set a very generous target of achieving 108 per cent of 1990 emissions by 2010 after it threatened to boycott negotiations.
On a per capita basis, Australia is the world's biggest generator of greenhouse gases. The US is the biggest polluter overall.
International environmental lobby group Greenpeace urged Howard to think again about Kyoto now that Russia has become a signatory.
"It's shameful the prime minister refuses to ratify this while the world is proceeding with this important step," Greenpeace spokesman Danny Kennedy said. "Kyoto is just a small step in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. As an Australian citizen I'm embarrassed."
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