October 30, 1997
Bonn, Germany--Final negotiations before the Climate Summit in Kyoto,
Japan in December are sinking in an ever increasing number of loopholes
that would give countries the license to pollute unabated. Making matters
worse, the US and Japan continue to ignore the reams of analyses that
show how greenhouse gas reductions can be achieved by available
technologies and proven policies.
A good example of the loopholes is what WWF calls 'phantom abatement'
of emissions. In Russia and eastern Europe, emissions have fallen
dramatically with the collapse of their economies. The US proposes that
nations be allowed to purchase those 'phantom emissions,' thereby giving
them the right to continue polluting.
That kind of diversionary proposal has pushed talks more off track than
ever before. Two years after nations promised to set targets and
timetables to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, governments are
competing to create escape clauses that would render the Kyoto protocol
meaningless. Even more alarming -- they would allow governments to
falsely advertise that they've actually committed to emission reductions.
"The US and Japan deserve top marks for creative writing and
accounting," said Lars Georg Jensen, Policy Coordinator, WWF Climate
Change Campaign. "There are at least a dozen loopholes -- and even the
loopholes have loopholes."
Another stumbling block is the refusal of the US and Japan to engage in
serious debate over the significant greenhouse gas reductions that are
possible through policies and measures to improve energy efficiency. For
example, an analysis for WWF by the Tellus Institute in Boston,
Massachusetts shows that cutting US emissions by 10 percent by 2005
would result in net savings to the economy of $46 billion and by 2010 that
figure would rise to $136 billion with a 22 percent emissions reduction.
The G-77 and China proposal in many ways supports the EU position of
reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 7.5% in 2005 and 15% in 2010,
meaning that nearly 150 countries back this. For WWF, the reduction
targets from the EU and G-77 and China are the only realistic basis for
negotiations. WWF calls for greater co-operation between the EU and
G-77 and China.
The current gridlock has unleashed frenetic, last-minute diplomatic
efforts. EU leaders must ease the Clinton administration toward
accepting emission reductions when representatives from UK, The
Netherlands, Luxembourg and the European Commission gather in
Washington on 4 November.
WWF leads international efforts to protect the diversity of life on Earth.
The WWF Climate Change Campaign is working around the world to raise
awareness of the threats of climate change to wildlife and natural
ecosystems, urge governments to taking action to prevent climate
change, and to build partnerships with business and industry to find
solutions to the problem.
For more information, access the WWF Climate Change Campaign
website at http://www.panda.org/climate
*WWF is known as the World Wildlife Fund in the United States and
Canada, and as the World Wide Fund For Nature outside of North
America.