Britain challenges US to cut greenhouse gases
by James Bone
Britain pointedly called on the United States to join other rich
nations making binding cuts in greenhouse gas emissions as dozens of
world leaders held a summit on the danger of catastrophic climate
change.
Hilary Benn, the Environment Secretary, told the meeting at United
Nations headquarters that "the greatest challenge we have ever faced as
human beings" required action from every developed nation.
"That means all of us, including the largest economy in the world,
the United States, taking on binding reduction targets," he said. "It is
inconceivable that dangerous climate change can be avoided without this
happening."
Mr Benn's decision to single out the US during a visit to New York
will be regarded in Washington as particularly provocative.
President Bush skipped most of the UN meeting and was planning to
attend only a working dinner last night. He has called his own two-day
meeting of 15 major economies in Washington later in the week.
Although he has abandoned his previous scepticism about man-made
climate change and promises to negotiate a "long-term global goal" for
cutting emissions, Mr Bush still envisages countries entering framework
agreements voluntarily.
"It's our philosophy that each nation has the sovereign capacity to
decide for itself what its own portfolio of policies should be," said
James Connaughton, the President's chief environmental adviser.
The White House remains hostile to international measures such as a
cap-and-trade system on emissions, which might increase electricity
bills for ordinary Americans, with Mr Connaughton questioning whether a
"woman on fixed income in Ohio should pay for carbon dioxide reductions
in the oil sector".
European diplomatic sources are complaining privately that Mr Bush's
agenda is too limited and threatens to undermine their attempt for a
successor to the Kyoto Protocol, which was never ratified by the US.
Some say that they are already looking "beyond Bush" towards the 2008
presidential elections.
Elizabeth Bast, spokeswoman for Friends of the Earth, said: "The US
must join the rest of the world in tackling climate change within the
United Nations framework, instead of promoting purely voluntary measures
that will not achieve necessary emissions reductions."
The UN has tried to smooth over the potential conflict with Yvo de
Boer, head of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, accepting
an invitation to attend the Washington meeting. Condoleezza Rice, the US
Secretary of State, represented the Bush Administration in the main
session of the UN summit. But Arnold Schwarzenegger, the California
Governor, upstaged her with his own appearance.
"It is time we came together in a new international agreement that
can be embraced by rich and poor nations alike," he said. "California is
moving the United States beyond debate and doubt to action." Ban Ki
Moon, the UN Secretary-General, claimed there was now "universal
recognition" that the UN provided the right forum for negotiating global
action. "The message is simple: we know enough to act; if we do not act
now, the impact of climate change will be devastating."
Mr Benn said that a scheduled UN conference on climate change in Bali
in December should start negotiations leading to an agreement by the end
of 2009 on greenhouse gas emissions after 2012, when the Kyoto Protocol
expires.
"The ultimate objective of the UN convention on climate change
requires at least a halving of global emissions by the middle of this
century," he said.
Timesonline, UK |