US concession fails to please experts
At the climate conference in the Hague the US comes under fire for exploiting loopholes: America stung by criticisms
Copyright 2000 The Guardian (London)
November 21, 2000
Paul Brown in the Hague
There were few visible signs of progress at the climate talks yesterday, although the US made late concessions on the most contentious issue - its insistence that it can compensate for its own carbon emissions by removing carbon from the atmosphere by planting forests.
Its chief negotiator, Frank Loy, said that rather than insisting on all the carbon captured in forests being counted, it would ask for only 20%, plus one third of any more that could be scientifically verified.
The EU welcomed the concession. Michael Meacher, the British environment minister, said: "It is a good sign; we will study the details carefully."
Mr Loy and his 150 delegates have clearly been stung by the international media's repeated portrayal of the Americans as unwilling to make domestic cuts in carbon dioxide emissions. It has accused them of using "loopholes" in the agreement to plant forests at home and abroad to absorb carbon instead of cutting fossil fuel burning at home.
Mr Loy, the undersecretary of state for global affairs, said: "In recognition of concerns expressed by some countries we are willing to reduce the scale of credit we think we should be entitled to. We were talking about real cuts and real carbon tonnes but if it means coming closer to agreement we are prepared, we will ask for less than intended."
He went on to stress President Clinton's close personal interest in reaching a deal.
"The president raises the issue of climate change with every head of state he meets. He is extremely concerned and fully understands the issues. He has instructed us to do our best to get an agreement."
Earlier John Prescott, the deputy prime minister, had predicted it would be tomorrow night before the 37 points points of major disagreement between the parties were whittled down to a manageable number. "All sides are still involved in long distance shelling," he added.
In a speech to the conference Jacques Chirac, the French president, demanded action from Mr Clinton, saying that the average American created three times as much greenhouse gas as the average French resident.
"Europe is resolved to act and has mobilised to fight the greenhouse effect. Europe calls upon the other industrialised countries to join with us in this fight. The time has come for action," he said.
Robert Watson, the chairman of the 3,000 scientists who make up the UN intergovernmental panel on climate change, said: "The US claim for credits for planting and managing forests is based on policies in place well before 1990, the period from which the calculations on saving carbon are supposed to be made.
"On that basis it is fair to say that the US will be doing nothing extra than was being done in the ordinary course of events. There will be some savings, obviously, but it would have happened without the climate treaty. If they do get credit for that it will be a political decision."
John Lanchbery, the climate officer for the RSPB, said: "The new US proposals are out of Alice in Wonderland. Their original claim was preposterous, they are merely asking for less of something that was not real in the first place."
Yesterday, climate change was on the agenda when Tony Blair flew to Moscow to meet President Vladimir Putin.
Russia has "saved" millions of tonnes of carbon since 1990 because of the collapse of its economy. Under the terms of the treaty being negotiated in the Hague, it may be able to add up the savings and sell them for cash.
Mr Blair reportedly wants to ensure that this money does not simply disappear, but is earmarked for a "green" fund to be used for energy efficiency measures and building cleaner power stations.
Hear Paul Brown reporting from the Hague www.guardianunlimited.co.uk/ globalwarming