U.S. Says Large Economies Must Lead Climate Efforts

The world’s largest economies are responsible for 80 percent of climate-warming greenhouse gas emissions and consume 80 percent of the world’s energy, and should therefore lead global efforts to reduce emissions, said Paula Dobriansky, U.S. under secretary of state for global affairs, on Tuesday.  

The senior American climate negotiator made her comments during a Major Economies Meeting (MEM) forum, and added that since the European Union and 16 other nations comprising MEM also accounted for 80 percent of the global economy, they could well afford to act.

"We are looking forward to a strong statement from the Major Economies leaders in July," said Dobriansky, speaking at a two-day Chatham House climate change meeting in London, referring to an upcoming meeting on the margins of an upcoming G8 summit July 7-9 in Japan. 

"What we hope in particular is that the leaders can reach agreement on a shared long-term greenhouse gas reduction goal and on a stated willingness to have mid-term national goals and plans reflected in binding international commitments."

However, Dobriansky pointed out that major emerging economies would not be required to act as rapidly or significantly as major developed economies.

The MEM nations include the United States, Canada, Australia, Brazil, China, France, India, Indonesia, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, South Korea, South Africa and Britain, as well as the European Union.  The United Nations is involved as an observer.

Dobriansky said Washington would agree to binding emission cuts on the condition that countries like China and India take actions commensurate with the size of their economies, which are growing at around 10 percent a year.

Although their rhetoric has dampened recently, China and India in particular have said they see no reason to participate in a solution to a problem they did not create.

The upcoming G8 and MEM summits intend to revitalize international climate negotiations, and will conclude on December 2009 in Copenhagen with consensus on a replacement for the Kyoto Protocol, which ends in 2012.

But according to a Reuters report, draft declarations from both meetings revealed that Washington and the European Union disagree on targets and timetables.

Observers have said that Germany, as G8 president, had a difficult time last year forcing a strong climate change declaration. Many expect that achieving a new consensus among 16 nations and the EU, with their diverse and conflicting backgrounds and agendas, would be even more problematic. 

The G8 hopes to formalize an agreement made last year that would cut global carbon emissions in half by the year 2050. To accomplish that goal, emissions would need to peak within 10-15 years and then fall at an accelerating rate.  However, the United States rejected both ideas. A Reuters report quoted one senior delegate, who declined to be identified, as saying there was no way global emissions would peak within the given time period.