Canada will still implement its commitments to the Kyoto Protocol -- even if Russia backs out and leaves the international climate change treaty with no legal force, Environment Minister David Anderson said Monday.

"Whether ratification takes place by Russia or not, Canada expects to continue to meet its minus six per cent target," Anderson told The Canadian Press in a phone interview from Moscow.

"The faster we get going on climate change measures, the better off Canada will be."

Anderson's comments followed Russian President Vladimir Putin's address on the first day of the UN World Climate Change Conference in Moscow -- in which he said that Russia has not yet committed to ratifying the treaty.

"The government is thoroughly considering and studying this issue, studying the entire complex of difficult problems linked with it," Putin said. "The decision will be made after this work has been completed, and of course it will take into account the national interests of the Russian Federation."

To take effect, the 1997 protocol -- designed to curb the emissions scientists blame for global warming -- must be ratified by no fewer than 55 countries accounting for at least 55 per cent of global emissions in 1990.

After the United States rejected the treaty outright, the threshold can only be reached by Russia casting the deciding, ratifying vote.

Following the Russian president's comments, Anderson told reporters he remains optimistic Russia still supports the treaty.

"There's absolutely nothing in today's statement to suggest they're falling back or away from that commitment. I don't see any real problem here."

Canada has committed to cutting its emissions of greenhouse gases to six per cent below 1990 levels by 2008-2012. But measures announced so far fall well short of what's needed to meet those targets.

Under the Kyoto Protocol, countries must reduce their level of greenhouse-gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2012. If a country exceeds the emissions level, it could be forced to cut back industrial production.

And that fact may be playing into Putin's new hesitation on the issue.

Although Russia's emissions have fallen by 32 percent since 1990, they have started creeping up again as the country rides an economic revival.

Stemming industrial emissions could, therefore, come into conflict with Putin's ambitious plan to double the country's gross domestic product by 2010.

The Russian government must submit ratification documents to parliament before the country can formally approve the treaty. Officials had already said that the legislature was not likely to review the issue before parliamentary elections, set for Dec. 7.

With reports from The Canadian Press and The Associated Press