U.S. submits first plan for new U.N. climate treaty
UNITED NATIONS — The United States said Tuesday it would be committed to
joining the world on a climate treaty with "robust targets and ambitious
actions" against heat-trapping greenhouse gases. But the formal U.S.
submission to the United Nations on Tuesday offered no specifics for
achieving a strategy for reducing emissions, which will be the topic of
treaty talks in December in Copenhagen, Denmark.
The 21-page document represents President Barack Obama's first salvo in the
negotiating process.
It says the U.S. is committed to reaching a new, international agreement
"based on both the robust targets and ambitious actions that will be
embodied in U.S. domestic law and on the premise that the agreement will
reflect the important national actions of all countries with significant
emissions profiles."
The new global warming pact is being crafted to succeed the first phase
of the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, which requires 37 industrialized nations to
reduce greenhouse gas emissions an average of 5% below 1990 levels by 2012.
The United States is the only industrialized nation that did not ratify the
Kyoto Protocol, but it agreed with more than 180 other nations at a
conference in Bali in December to negotiate a new agreement by the end of
2009.
The U.S. "will be submitting additional proposals as the negotiations
progress," the Obama administration told the U.N.
Obama campaigned on a pledge to reduce U.S. emissions to 1990 levels by
2020, a dramatic turnabout from the administration of President George W.
Bush, who rejected Kyoto on grounds that it would cause too much harm to the
U.S. economy and was unfair because it didn't require similar cutbacks by
developing nations.
Ban Ki-moon, the U.N. secretary-general, said Tuesday he was satisfied with
the U.S. submission, despite its lack of specific goals or timetable for
cutting carbon dioxide and other climate-warming gases.
"I know that there is ... some more to do by the United States government,
but this is a good step and I would encourage further that the United States
take more concrete, more bolder initiatives," he said in answer to a
reporter's question.
"We are encouraged," the U.N. chief added. "All these domestic measures
which the U.S. government and Congress will take will be very important.
Now, what is important at this time is for developed countries is to set a
target for midterm by 2020."
A Copenhagen treaty could shape the course of climate change for decades to
come, particularly if, as Ban suggests, fast-developing nations such as
China and India agree to limit their emissions as well.
The U.N. network of climate experts and other scientists has repeatedly
warned that rising seas, droughts and severe weather will result without
sharp cutbacks in emissions of the industrial, transportation and
agricultural gases blamed for warming.
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