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US Urged to Take Initiative in Reducing Gas Emissions
The United States, the world's biggest emitter of greenhouse gases, was urged to take the lead in reducing such gas emissions at the United Nations convention on climate change on November 20.
"The conference should show that we can turn the tide of skepticism and we can provide solutions," said Dutch Prime Minister Wim Kok who attended the first day of ministerial negotiations here along with Dutch Queen Beatrix and French President Jacques Chirac.
The Hague negotiations have entered the second week after assistants specializing in climate sciences, law and economy from the signatory states bargained about what to do to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
Kok said that he had seen some progress in the first-week negotiations. He cited as signs of progress a focus on the Kyoto protocol itself instead of on national differences and a tendency to offer compromises. "This will be a crucial week," he said.
However, Dutch Environment Minister Jan Pronk, who now chairs the Hague conference, warned against political tricks to be played by some of the conference participants.
The main aim of the Hague conference was to agree on rules that would translate into genuine pollution reduction. "The targets will have to be met," said Pronk, "If we don't reach the targets then there's no possibility for more ambitious targets."
In a speech addressed to Monday's session of the Hague conference, French President Chirac called upon the United States and other industrialized countries to set an example for the developing countries by cutting greenhouse gas emissions while maintaining economic growth.
"The United States alone emits a quarter of the world's greenhouse gases," said Chirac, "so it's the Americans who should be called upon to cast aside their hesitation that emission cutting would cost them of their economic growth."
Chirac, whose nation is holding the rotating presidency of the European Union, said that the 15-nation bloc is poised to ratify the Kyoto protocol by 2002 while EU Environment Commissioner Margot Wallstrom said that it would be absurd if the world's biggest emitter of greenhouse gases (the United States) would not ratify the protocol.
The Kyoto protocol needs ratification from at least 55 countries and regions including the developed countries to be legally effective, in that these countries combined account for 55 percent of the global emission of greenhouse gases, mainly carbon dioxide.
Up till now 30 countries, all from the developing world, have ratified the protocol.
The United States wanted countries to be able to offset their own emissions by spending less on pollution-reducing projects in other underdeveloped countries, such as planting new forests that soak up carbon dioxide from the air.
The Europeans, however, wanted a 50-percent ceiling on the trading of a country's obligation whereas the Americans, mindful of problems in ratifying a treaty through a cost-sensitive Congress, have argued for unfettered trading of emission targets.
Back in December 1997 governments agreed in Kyoto of Japan targets of cutting emissions of carbon-based gases by a total of 5. 2 percent from the 1990 level and the deadline was set for between 2008 and 2012.
The European Union was committed to cut emissions by 8 percent, the United States was committed to cut by 7 percent and Japan, by 6 percent.
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