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Bush set to re-launch global climate talks |
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US President George Bush has invited the world's major polluters to a conference in September to kick off negotiations for a new global framework to tackle global warming. Momentum seems to be growing before an official UN meeting takes place in December.
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2007-08-07
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The US Administration has invited major emerging economies, the EU and the UN to a top level meeting on 27-28 September focused on long-term goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The target, according to President Bush, is to "agree on a detailed contribution for a new global framework by the end of 2008, which would contribute to a global agreement under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change by 2009."
UN negotiations on a new protocol on climate change will continue at a conference in Bali in December. Washington sees the September meeting as a way to facilitate further talks at the UN level, while environmentalists see the risk of using the meeting to slow down progress.
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Reactions
"We expect to place special emphasis on how major economies can, in close cooperation with the private sector, accelerate the development and deployment of clean technologies, a critical component of an effective global approach to reducing greenhouse gas emissions," Bush said in his invitation.
Some experts, however, remain skeptic about a real progress of the Bush initiative. Among them, Eron Bloomgarden director of U.S. programs at carbon credit developer ecosecurities: "If this is a real effort to join the international dialogue, the global community and carbon market would be very enthusiastic about that. The question, though is this just a delay tactic to avoid mandatory limits?"
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China to play a key role
A key to future negotiations could be China, which has now overtaken the US as the world's biggest emitter of greenhouse gases, according to the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency.
Former US Vice-President, Al Gore, speaking at the Global Brand Forum in Singapore last week, added pressure on the Asian giant by urging the Chinese government to be more aggressive in fighting global warming.
That, he argued, could be done without hurting economic growth. "There are ways to leap-frog the old, dirty technologies," concluded Gore.
Background
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged all countries to reach a global agreement on a worldwide climate framework by 2009, which would leave time for governments to ratify the accord so it could take effect in 2013. This would ensure a transition from the current Kyoto Protocol, in force until 2012.
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More information:
› Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency: China number 1 in CO2 emissions
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