Scorecard Summary:
Fulfilment of Rio Conference Commitment - Red
Current Government Position on Climate Change - Red
Per Capita Emissions - Red (19.13 metric tons per person in 1992)
National CO2 Emissions - Red (4,881 million metric tons in 1992)
OVERALL ASSESSMENT:
Stalling, must do better, unconcerned about
need for
early action, and works to own internal economic agenda. As the world's
leading carbon dioxide emitter, the US must take strong action
domestically to reduce emissions.
NATIONAL CLIMATE PROTECTION GOAL:
In 1993 President Clinton
announced the
Climate Change Action Plan (CCAP) committing the US to return greenhouse gas
emissions to 1990 levels by the year 2000, through cost-effective
domestic actions. (This is seen by the US as a voluntary, non-binding
target).
SPECIFIC FEATURES:
The United States continues to be the largest
carbon dioxide
emitter, accounting for nearly 22 percent of the world's emissions from
fossil fuel burning. The US also tops the list of per capita emissions
with 19.1metric tons per year in 1992, compared to the average for the
OECD of 12 tons per capita. Currently, CO2 emissions are rising fastest
in the electricity generation and transport sectors which account,
respectively, for 34 and 31 percent of national emissions. In 1990,
combustion of petroleum products was
responsible for about 44 percent of total US energy-related CO2
emissions, while 36 percent arose from coal use and 20 percent from
burning natural gas. The US is also the largest producer and consumer
of energy. 88 percent of US energy supply is met by the combustion of
fossil fuels, with the remainder from enewables and other energy sources
such as nuclear, hydropower and biomass. In 1991, coal accounted for 32
percent of domestic energy production, natural gas 29 percent, and
renewables 0.2 percent. Energy intensity (energy use per dollar of GDP)
has remained relatively flat since 1986. The US ranks slightly behind
the OECD average of 0.41 tons of oil equivalent per $1000 of GDP.
NEGATIVE FEATURES:
The US will not achieve its national climate
protection goal
of stabilisation by 2000. In 1993, CO2 emissions were already 4.1 percent
above the level of 1990. Moreover, in its national communication to the
Climate Convention, the US foresees greenhouse gas emissions in the year
2010 being at least 10 percent higher than the level projected for 2000.
By 2010, imported oil is expected to account for 60 percent of US
consumption, up from 44 percent in 1993. With regard to coal use, 55
percent of US electricity in 1995 was generated by coal-fired power
plants which converted barely one-third of the fuel's useful energy into
electricity. The current market is heavily biased towards continued
operation of existing coal-fired units that often create between 4 and 10
times more pollution than would be allowed for newer power plants. Low
energy prices in the US contribute to limited incentives for energy
efficiency improvements and greenhouse gas emission reductions.
POSITIVE FEATURES:
Some of the voluntary programmes in the US
have stimulated
innovative action, although there is potential for double-counting on
emission savings and budget cuts have restricted the introduction of
programmes in general. Between 1995 and 2010, emerging renewable sources
of energy - especially wind, solar, biomass, geothermal and biofuels -
are expected to grow steadily at rates exceeding those of other sources.
The "milestone concept" introduced by the US in its CCAP to monitor
progress could be useful for other countries.
Sources: US Climate Action Plan; US Climate Action Report (UNFCCC
Submission
1994); World Resources 1996-97; Report on the in-depth review of the national
communication of the USA. FCCC/IDR.1/USA.