Washington -- U.S. Ambassador to Slovenia Thomas Robertson told citizens of his host country that the United States is committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and developing green technologies. “We have a broad range of programs in place to combat global [climate] change. President Bush set a target of cutting the greenhouse intensity by 18 percent by 2012,” he told his Slovenian audience.
(Media-Newswire.com) - Washington -- U.S. Ambassador to Slovenia Thomas Robertson told citizens of his host country that the United States is committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and developing green technologies.
“We have a broad range of programs in place to combat global [climate] change. President Bush set a target of cutting the greenhouse intensity by 18 percent by 2012,” he told his Slovenian audience, adding, “In addition to reducing the use of fossil fuels, U.S. is also increasing the use of energy from renewable sources, such as energy from solar, wind, clean coal, and energy produced from ethanol made from grass and agricultural waste. Last year alone, about 4 percent of our fuel came from corn ethanol.”
The United States’ approach is both scientific and market-based, he said in a March 1 USINFO webchat.
“By encouraging innovation and scientific breakthroughs, we believe we can reduce emissions and sustain economic growth. It is essential that the economy continues to grow and generates capital to finance private investments in cleaner, more efficient technologies,” he said. So far, the United States has spent $29 billion on climate change science and technology, international assistance, and incentive programs.
Robertson said the fact that U.S. greenhouse gas emissions went up just 1.3 percent in the period 2000-2004, in spite of population growth in excess of 11 million and economic growth of almost 10 percent is an example of what investments in a cleaner environment can do. By comparison, emissions in the European Union increased 2.4 percent during the same period.
He also said that from 2000 to 2004 greenhouse gas intensity ( a measure of gas emissions per pound of production ) in the United States decreased by 7.5 percent; during the same period in the European Union it decreased by 4.5 percent.
Regarding the Kyoto Protocol, Robertson said it is only one method to address the problem of global warming, one that “is inconsistent with the need for a global response to climate change since developing countries reject binding emission caps. The United States is focused on engaging countries from all regions of the world through bottom-up partnerships that focus not just on climate change, but on issues of concern such as economic development and energy access.”
The Kyoto Protocol is an amendment to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change ( UNFCCC ). Countries that ratified this protocol committed to reducing their emissions of carbon dioxide and five other greenhouse gases, or engage in emissions trading if they maintain or increase emissions of these gases. Although the United States is a party to the framework, it is not a party to the Kyoto Protocol.
Robertson cited the protocol’s potential negative economic impact as a chief reason the United States did not ratify it, and pointed out that other countries, such as Germany, now are facing this problem.
“Germany has done an admirable job making the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions a priority. But their difficulty in meeting their Kyoto targets is a reflection of the fact that no responsible political leader is going to take drastic steps that will have the effect of cutting economic output in order to cut emissions,” he said.
Robertson said the environment and climate change are “main priorities for the U.S. government” and will remain so.
Cooperation between the United States and the European Union in environmental research is slated to expand under an agreement signed February 9. ( See related article. )
"We've still got to do more, but we're having an impact," Robertson wrote.
A transcript of this webchat, as well as information about future webchats, is available on USINFO’s Webchat Station.
( Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov )
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