U.S. says Kyoto too tough without emissions trade
By Stefano Ambrogi
LONDON, July 21 (Reuters) - The chief U.S. negotiator on climate
change said on Friday the United States was unlikely to meet its
target to slash greenhouse gas emissions as laid down in Kyoto in
1997 without relying heavily on market mechanisms.
At a U.S. Embassy briefing in London, Under Secretary of State
for Global Affairs -- and head of the U.S. delegation on climate
change -- Frank Loy said that due to the phenomenal economic
growth experienced by his country in the last decade a reduction
of seven percent under 199O levels by by 2008-2012 was a tough
target to bear.
"In order to achieve our Kyoto targets we will need to reduce
(domestic) emissions by up to 30 percent (by 2010)," he said,
adding that it was an "obligation that bites to a greater degree
than for other countries".
Asked if the U.S. delegation would seek to renegotiate the treaty
at the sixth global meeting of the parties to the Kyoto Protocol
at the Hague in November Loy replied: "We are not seeking a
change to either dates or numbers despite recognition of the fact
that we have a tough chore."
Loy said that the United States would not be able to meet the
targets stipulated under the United Nations' Kyoto Protocol by
domestic measures alone and would have to take full advantage of
flexible market mechanisms -- including the right to buy to
pollute from other countries through emissions trading.
Emissions trading allows countries polluting more than their
quota to purchase "credits" from countries which fall short of
their emissions ceiling, enabling them to overshoot their
targets.
The U.S. is the world's biggest polluter, producing some 35
percent of total greenhouse gas emissions.
Some nations including the European Union are using market
mechanisms to meet 50 percent of their reduction target but Loy
was unable to give a specific figure for the United States.
"It will be substantial...but I have no idea what the percentage
is. We will do a large inspection of our reduction (target) at
home," he said.
Loy added that he "found zero justification to put a limits on
flexible trading mechanisms -- It is conceptually wrong."
Duncan Brack, Head of Energy and Environmental Programme at the
Royal Institute of International Affairs, said that the Clinton
Administration was clearly "setting out its bargaining position"
ahead of the crucial meeting in November.
He said that judging from concerns expressed by Loy over capping
the quantity of emissions countries will be allowed to trade it
appeared that the U.S. was looking to place a greater burden on
market mechanisms or "sinks" -- forests or vegetation that absorb
carbon dioxide emissions.
Bill Haire, Greenpeace's international policy director on climate
change, agreed. "(Loy) is basically saying you'd better give us
what we want or we will not be able to do it.
And by that I mean ... emissions trading with no caps, land use
change and forestry, the so called 'sinks issues', and other
areas," said Haire.
"They're attempting to put pressure on the European Union to
agree to their demands."
Duncan Brack told Reuters he believed the U.S. was not ruling out
ratification rather that it was not ready to ratify in the
short-term.
"It'll be a great shame not to have the U.S. on board but not to
have the treaty would be far worse," said Brack.
Haire said that it could be anywhere between two and six years
before the United States finally ratifies the Protocol.
News by Reuters
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