Progress Made at Nairobi Climate Talks, Despite Bush Administration Opposition

AEN News

Washington - Delegates to the United Nations climate change conference, held during the past two weeks, made progress building on the momentum generated last fall at the Montreal climate talks, despite continued opposition by the Bush Administration. Specifically, there is now a clear roadmap to guide negotiations leading up to next year's climate conference in Indonesia.

Another big step forward was the acknowledgement by parties that greenhouse gas emissions need to be cut "well below half of 2000 levels" to avoid dangerous climate change. "While countries agreed that significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions pollution are necessary, however there was an obvious disparity gap between the magnitude of the challenge problem and the response from governments participating in the Nairobi talks," said John Coequyt, Greenpeace.

More would have been accomplished if the U.S. supported mandatory efforts to reduce global warming pollution. "Unfortunately, U.S. negotiators continued their role of trying to undermine progress by attempting to derail multi-lateral, mandatory measures to combat climate change," said John Stanton, National Environmental Trust. He continued, "the Bush administration continues to insist on bilateral, voluntary initiatives that have consistently failed to control climate changing pollution in the past."

For years, some rich nations, led by the U.S., have refused to cut emissions unless poor, developing countries do as well. Innovative ideas put forward by Brazil, Papua New Guinea, Costa Rica, the Congo Basin and other rainforest developing nations were welcomed by environmental groups. "The tropical forest nations' proposals have the potential to transform these talks from a stand off between North and South, to a "stand together" on combating climate change,' said Annie Petsonk, Environmental Defense.

The new boost in momentum and international resolve is happening not a day too soon. The latest scientific findings, along with the Stern Review, an economic analysis of the cost of climate change by the former chief economist of the World Bank, identified the urgency for action now.