BRUSSELS, May 18 - The European Union on Tuesday called on the United States to be more ambitious in cutting emissions of greenhouse gases, rejecting American criticism of its decision to seek limits on how much trading of emissions countries can undertake.

"There is a different level of ambition between us and the Americans," said Peter Jorgensen, an E.U. environment spokesman. "It has always been clear from the start that serious domestic action to reduce greenhouse gases should provide the main means to combating global warming."

Ministers from the 15 E.U. states on Monday finalized a proposal to limit so-called "flexible mechanisms" under the Kyoto climate change treaty - such as emissions trading - to ensure that countries meet most of their commitments by cutting their own domestic emissions.

U.S. officials said Washington would oppose the E.U. proposal, adding that U.S. participation in the Kyoto program depends on the flexibility of emissions trading and other measures to lower the cost of meeting targeted cuts. "The Kyoto protocol was agreed unanimously, also by the U.S.," Jorgensen said. "But the agreement built in limitations on the use of flexibility, which should only be a supplement to real domestic cuts in pollution."

The December 1997 Kyoto accord calls for the world's industrial powers to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide and five other greenhouse gases by an average of 5.2 percent below 1990 levels between 2008 and 20 . The E.U. agreed to a cut of eight percent.

Even though the U.S. has signed the treaty, its implementation must still be negotiated. Opposition to the deal is strong in the Senate, where some lawmakers fear it would damage the U.S. economy and allow developing countries to avoid making cuts.

The Clinton administration thinks emissions trading and other incentives must be in place to reduce costs for industry. The E.U. wants to persuade other countries to place a ceiling on this "flexibility" and thus stop them from wriggling out of their 
commitments.

"If we don't try to put flesh onto the bones of these supplementary measures, then nobody will," Jorgensen said. The E.U. will try to convince other signatories to the agreement to back its position at a meeting of officials in Bonn in June, and then at the so-called Conference of Parties, which will also be held in Bonn in October and November. But European governments are aware that if the U.S. fails to ratify the accord, it will probably not enter into force, leaving nobody with any legally-binding commitments at all.

Phone: + 92 42 6666404 - 6687827
 

 

 
E-mail: jrc@syberwurx.com