Transcript Positions of International Players on Climate Change

Positions of International
Players on Climate Change
United States
• Is the only major country that has
rejected the entire process as
flawed
• The Americans have three major
reasons for opposing the Kyoto
accord:
1. Based on the minority
scientific view that,while
climate change may be
occurring, it may be for natural
rather than anthropogenic
reasons. The U.S. is unwilling
to proceed with policies that
might have devastating
economic impact without
stronger scientific evidence
2. The U.S. believes that
emission reduction could not
be accomplished without
causing profound damage to
the economy of the USA.
Remember the ties of Pres.
Bush and vice-pres. Cheney to
the oil industry.
3. No significant progress has
been made on an agreement to
limit the growth of greenhouse
emissions in developing
countries. They point out that
emissions are growing more
rapidly there in percentage
terms,than in the developed
world.
European Union
• The EU nations have remained
steadfast in their commitment to
fight global warming by expanding
alternative energy use and working
towards more efficient use of
conventional energy. The have
gone the farthest of any developed
nation.
Canada, Russia, Japan,
Australia, New Zealand
• This group occupies the middle
ground between the US and the
EU.
• They have not backed away, like
the US,but have not embraced it
like the EU.
Developing World
• Led by China (the world’s second
largest producer of greenhouse
gas emissions) and India, the
group of 77 (a coalition of
countries of the developing world)
rejects any responsibility for a
problem they feel was created by,
and therefore should be solved by,
the developed world.
• There is no denying the fact that
rapid population growth has caused
increased greenhouse emissions.
• The clearing and burning of
rainforests, the use of coal and
other fossil fuels, and the
expansion of animal herds have
added CO and methane to the
atmosphere.
“ In the developed world only two people
ride in a car, and you want us to give up
riding the bus!” ~ China’s delegate at
Kyoto.
Alliance of Small Island Nations
• Some face the risk of
disappearing under rising sea
levels and take the problem of
global warming seriously.
• The pushed for a 20% reduction
in emissions
• Because they have little
economic or political power,
their concerns were largely
unheard.