US Opposition to Kyoto Emissions Targets Hindering International Climate Talks

Posted by Jennifer Schwartz on October 9, 2009 at 12:03 pm

A comparison of carbon dioxide emissions from the US and China since 1990. (image: s.wsj.net)

The ongoing discussion over global climate regulation currently underway in Bangkok – which will come to a head in Copenhagen in December– hit a snag on Wednesday.

Not surprisingly, carbon dioxide emissions cuts are the source of the conflict. According to an article in the UK’s Guardian, the US is refusing to include the Kyoto Protocol targets in any new agreements because it excludes developing nations from emissions reduction targets. Meanwhile, developing nations, such as China, assert that Kyoto is not negotiable, and that they only want it to be revived and strengthened. Yu Qingtai, China’s special representative on climate talks, said that the only way for this to work it to have rich, industrialized countries implement target of 40 percent cuts by 2020. It’s a nice idea, but perhaps not entirely realistic.

Chief US negotiator Jonathan Pershing noted a significant change in the US agenda, insinuating a shift in the US position since Obama took office. “There has been a startling change in the US position,” he said. “There is now engagement. We have had a 10-fold increase finance from the US. We have put $80bn into a green economic stimulus package. One year ago there was no commitment to a global agreement.”

The stated reason the US didn’t sign Kyoto in 1997 was because developing nations were excluded from having to accept emissions caps and other regulations. Pershing reinforced this point, promising that the US is still against the Kyoto Protocol and will not take part in a plan that does not include all major carbon-emitting countries. “Things have changed since Kyoto,” he said. “Where countries were in 1990 and today is very different. We cannot be stuck with an agreement 20 years old. We want action from all countries.”

Indeed, since the original drafting of Kyoto, China has become the biggest polluter of greenhouse gases. For the first time, the European Union has publically agreed with the US on this point, admitting that Kyoto has not done anywhere near enough to reduce emissions and that bolder moves are needed from all countries, not just wealthy, industrialized ones.

But poorer nations don’t agree. Their argument is that if other nations were able to industrialize without environmental restrictions, why shouldn’t they?

The Bangkok meeting was held for the explicit purpose of negotiating formal, UN climate agreement parameters that will be discussed and (hopefully) agreed upon in Copenhagen. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like a clear, agreeable plan has emerged in this last ditch effort before the big event. Let’s hope an effective global action plan against climate change isn’t derailed.