EU and US at loggerheads over climate change

 2398, 01/10/07

The US government hailed climate change as one of the "great challenges of our time" at the end of last week, but did not budge in its opposition to globally-set, legally-binding emission reduction targets.

"We come together today because we agree that climate change is a real problem - and that human beings are contributing to it," US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice told a US-led international climate meeting "now, it is our responsibility as global leaders to forge a new international consensus on how to address climate change."

This was a promising start to the Washington meeting that brought together the world's 17 largest CO2 emitters last Thursday and Friday. A year ago president George Bush was still questioning the science behind climate change.

But despite the new rhetoric, the US did not budge from its long-held position that technology, not binding emission caps, is the main solution to climate change.

President George Bush called on those present to agree "a long-term goal" to cut emissions by mid-2008, but did not put forward a concrete proposal. Nor did he express support for a global, legally-binding treaty to enforce emission cuts.

"Each nation must decide for itself the right mix of tools and technologies to achieve results that are measurable and environmentally effective," Mr Bush told delegates. Days before, UN chief Ban Ki-moon had reassured critics the US initiative would feed into UN climate negotiations (EED 25/09/07 http://www.endseuropedaily.com/23942).

The president's position received a sceptical response. "What they placed on the table at this meeting is a first step, but is simply not enough," said South African environment minister Marthinus van Schalwyk, "we think that the US needs to go back to the drawing board."

Other participants called the US position "isolated" and suggested the current administration was increasingly irrelevant in the run up to a new government in January 2009.

Campaigners were harsh in their judgement. "President Bush's speech today demonstrates once again his do-nothing approach to global warming," said Greenpeace USA director John Passacantando, "he offered no new policies that would commit the US to binding emissions reductions."

Follow-up: See Bush speech http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/09/20070928-2.html, plus

White House fact sheets on meeting http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/09/20070927.html and US

approach http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/09/20070928-1.html.

See also Rice speech http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2007/09/92893.htm,

de Boer speech http://unfccc.int/files/press/interviews_and_statements/application/pdf/070927_statement_wdc.pdf,

German environment ministry press release

http://www.bmu.de/pressemitteilungen/aktuelle_pressemitteilungen/pm/40057.php,

and statements from South African environment minister

http://www.info.gov.za/speeches/2007/07100109451001.htm, Greenpeace USA chief

http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/press-center/releases2/statement-by-john-passacantand

and National environmental trust http://www.net.org/proactive/newsroom/release.vtml?id=29252.

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