US objects to G8 climate lanugage
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L25554305.htm
U.S. rejects German climate position - G8 draft By Jeremy Lovell
LONDON, May 25 (Reuters) - The United States has rejected Germany’s
bid to get the Group of Eight to agree to tough cuts in climate
warming carbon emissions, according to a draft of the communique to
be presented to next month’s meeting.
The blunt language of the rejection sets the scene for a showdown at
the summit to be held at the German resort of Heiligendamm from June
6-8.
“We have tried to ‘tread lightly’ but there is only so far we can go
given our fundamental opposition to the German position,” the U.S.
said in red ink comments at the start of a copy of the draft
communique seen by Reuters on Friday.
“The treatment of climate change runs counter to our overall position
and crosses multiple ‘red lines’ in terms of what we simply cannot
agree to.”
G8 president Germany wants the meeting to agree targets and
timetables for steep cuts in emissions and increases in energy
efficiency in transport and power generation.
A source close to the negotiations described them as “very tense”.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, supported by British Prime Minister
Tony Blair, wants agreement to curb the rise in average temperatures
this century to two degrees Celsius, to cut global emissions by 50
percent below 1990 levels by 2050 and to raise energy efficiency in
power and transport by 20 percent by 2020.
The United States, which rejected in 2001 the Kyoto Protocol on
cutting carbon emissions as economic suicide because it was not
binding on boom economies China and India, is adamantly against any
binding targets or timetables.
Washington, despite the fact that several U.S. states are starting up
Kyoto-style carbon trading schemes, also rejects carbon trading
because of its implicit emission caps.
“The proposals within the sections titled “Fighting Climate Change”
and “Carbon Markets” are fundamentally incompatible with the
President’s approach to climate change,” said another red-inked
paragraph in the draft.
Environment group Greenpeace said the U.S. stance gave the lie to
confident statements by Blair that Washington’s position was
moderating as the summit approached.
“This shows more clearly than ever that despite his protestations to
the contrary Tony Blair’s efforts to persuade George Bush of the
importance of tackling climate change have singularly failed,” said
Greenpeace director John Sauven.
Friends of the Earth head Tony Juniper said: “Not only do these
delaying tactics and obstructive actions threaten people across the
planet, it shows that the President is also out of touch with U.S.
public opinion.”
Developing countries argue that as most of the pollution in the
atmosphere came from the developed nations, they should bear the
brunt of the bill for tackling its causes and effects.
Negotiations to expand and extend Kyoto beyond 2012 when it lapses
are barely moving and diplomats are hoping Heiligendamm will agree a
declaration strong enough to revitalise the talks.
They say success at Heiligendamm — which will include the leaders of
major developing nations India, China, Mexico, Brazil and South
Africa — would raise hopes a UN meeting in Bali in December could
agree outline principles for new post-2012 talks.
Failure in Germany could delay the process even further and risk
leaving a post-2012 vacuum given the time it is likely to take to
negotiate and ratify any Kyoto replacement.