US TELLS UN IT MAY SHIFT CLIMATE POLICY
06.2.07 - Leído 111 veces. Enviar esta notaGerard Wynn
A speech by President George W. Bush on Thursday could signal a shift in US climate policy, White House officials told the UN climate change chief Yvo de Boer
LONDON, UK; June 2, 2007.- The United States has until now rejected greenhouse gas emissions targets and timetables. Earlier this month it rejected starting talks in Indonesia in December on a new global climate deal to extend the Kyoto Protocol after 2012.
On Thursday, Bush said the United States would work with other nations on a post-Kyoto framework.
“White House staff said that this could result in a policy shift,” de Boer told Reuters.
“I asked White House representatives does this mean you’re in favour of launching negotiations in Bali (this December) and they said in a way discussions had already started.
“It’s imperative in Bali we launch negotiations on a post-2012 climate policy.”
Bush outlined plans for meetings this year extending into next year, without specific reference to the UN talks in Bali.
De Boer’s support depended on those talks remaining within the UN multilateral process, he said.
“I think it’s incredibly valuable provided they feed into the (UN climate change) convention.”
“When I originally heard the President’s speech I was concerned that this initiative would be taking the debate outside the multilateral process, but explanations I’ve received from White House staff indicate that this is meant to take things to a higher level and accelerate the process.”
Bush was thin on detail in his speech. He said he wanted consensus on a long-term global plan for cutting greenhouse gas emissions, without saying how binding targets should be.
Earlier on Thursday White House spokeswoman Dana Perino rejected global carbon trading as a climate solution. Carbon trading involves setting mandatory caps on emissions.
The UN’s climate change body runs a carbon trading scheme under Kyoto, and de Boer said it was one of a range of policy tools needed to fight climate change.
“I wish it were true that there were one silver bullet but that’s not the reality.”
(Reuters)
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