European Governments Confront Bush Over Climate Retreat

Environmental News Service Mr. Bush's broken promises on the environment are clounding his reputation with European allies BRUSSELS, Belgium, (ENS) -The European Union will send a high level delegation to Washington next week in a bid to "clarify" the USA's position on the Kyoto climate protocol. The move was announced by Environment Commissioner Margot Wallstrom as European condemnations of the Bush administration's apparent rejection of the Kyoto Protocol multiplied. "It's extremely worrying, we don't like what we hear," the commissioner said. Wallstrom will travel with Swedish environment minister Kjell Larsson who is also president of the European Union Council of Ministers during this six month period. Accompanying them will be a representative of the Belgian government, which is next in line for the European Union's six month rotating presidency. The visit is being organized despite the fact that the European Union has received no official confirmation of the U.S. position, nor a reply to a letter sent last week urging early dialogue on the issue. Meanwhile Dutch Environment Minister Jan Pronk, who is also chairman of the Kyoto Protocol negotiations, has already travelled to Washington for talks. A spokesperson said Pronk is concerned by the new signals coming from the United States. She added that Pronk hopes to issue new proposals for a possible compromise agreement early next month. White House and state department spokespeople yesterday confirmed that the United States is "not looking for" ratification of the protocol, but denied newspaper reports that the government had taken steps to "unsign" it. They insisted that the United States would attend resumed negotiations in July. The position would not change until an ongoing review of U.S. climate policy was complete, they said. European Union politicians have nevertheless reacted with outrage, including a call by the European Parliament's green group for European consumers to boycott American oil companies, "namely Exxon, Texaco and Chevron." European Union Environment Commissioner Margot Wallstrom UK Environment Minister Michael Meacher said the situation was "exceptionally serious" but insisted the European Union should still ratify Kyoto even if the Americans did not. Danish Environment Minister Svend Auken said, "The USA may be the world's greatest country, but it must not be permitted to dictate to the rest of us that we are not to do something on which there is otherwise broad agreement. We shall continue despite the problems. We in the European Union will work urgently to bring Japan and Russia in particular into the agreement." Wallstrom said it is particularly serious that Bush had questioned the growing scientific consensus on the causes and dangers of climate change. Bush told reporters this morning in Washington that he would work with American allies to reduce greenhouse gases. "But I will not accept a plan that will harm our economy and hurt American workers," Bush said. Under the protocol signed by the United States along with other nations in 1997 in Kyoto, Japan, 39 industrialized countries agreed to cut their emissions of six greenhouse gases linked to global warming. They must reduce emissions to an average of 5.2 percent below 1990 levels during the five year period 2008 to 2012. The emissions of developing nations will be controlled by subsequent negotiations under the United Nations climate treaty. But the Kyoto Protocol will not take effect until it is ratified by 55 percent of the nations emitting at least 55 percent of the six greenhouse gases. Since the United States emits roughly one-quarter of all greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere, ratification by the United States is considered essential to entry into force of the protocol. During January and February, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change issued three scientific reports showing that the global climate is increasing much more quickly than previously thought. The scientists predicted rapidly rising sea levels as polar ice caps melt, extreme weather events, the spread of tropical diseases to temperate latitudes, and the disappearance of whole species of wild plants and animals as consequences of climate change. These reports were endorsed by representatives of more than 100 governments. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change was jointly established by the World Meteorological Organization and the United Nations Environment Programme to assess the scientific, technical and socio-economic information relevant for the understanding of the risk of human induced climate change. Published in cooperation with ENDS Environment Daily, Europe's choice for environmental news. Environmental Data Services Ltd, London. Email: envdaily@ends.co.uk

© 1997-2002 BEI