Climate talks stalemate as EU rejects US forests plan
Copyright 2000, The Guardian (London)
November 16, 2000
Paul Brown Environment correspondent
America and the European Union were at loggerheads yesterday in the vital climate talks in the Hague over "loopholes" which would allow countries to plant forests and change farming practices to avoid cutting the use of fossil fuels.
The US said - on the third day of two weeks of talks among 180 countries to
curb greenhouse gases - that its proposals must be accepted before it can sign up to a legally-binding agreement to curb emissions.
The scheme was described as "quite outrageous" by environment groups. They said it would undermine the Kyoto agreement in which the US would cut greenhouse gas emissions by 7%.
By planting forests and changing farming practices both at home and in developing countries the US calculates it can capture carbon from the atmosphere and in doing so avoid reducing domestic energy consumption. It claims sticking to the Kyoto agreement by domestic action alone would mean cutting fuel use by 30%.
The EU believes the US plan is scientifically unproven and close to cheating - at least ducking the real issue, which is the world's over dependence on fossil fuels.
All sides realise that failure to reach agreement on this issue in the next 10 days could wreck the talks but yesterday there was no sign of movement.
On one side is the "umbrella group" of US, Japan, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Russia, which want these so-called carbon sinks to play a large part in their emission reduction targets and on the other the EU, which says there is no substitute for domestic action. On the EU's side is practically every environmental group in the world and many of the developing countries.
Michael Meacher, the environment minister who will spend next week in the Hague, said yesterday: "The EU position is firm. As far as we are concerned there is no substitute for taking domestic action to reduce the emissions by burning less fossil fuels."
Jos Delbeke, the EU's negotiator, said the EU was still unconvinced about many elements of the US ideas, including the scientific uncertainties on how much carbon is soaked up by trees.
John Lanchbery of the RSPB, who is also at the talks, said: "The US position is quite outrageous, and allows the US and its allies to carry on business as usual while claiming credits for forests and all sorts of other land use options. These proposals should be rejected out of hand."
Michel Raquet, from Greenpeace International, said: "If the EU gives way on this then the Kyoto agreement will be so full of loopholes it will lose all environmental integrity.The Americans want credits if they chop down a forest then replant it with fast growing trees. It is nonsense."