US won't budge on Kyoto

2004-12-08 08:11

Buenos Aires - The United States, the world's largest producer of global-warming gases, on Tuesday said it will not change its approach to climate change, charging that the Kyoto Protocol was not underpinned by scientific fact, but based on politics.

Some delegates at an international climate change conference here lamented Washington's stance, saying the problem of global warming is accelerating much faster than previously believed.

But Washington's senior climate change negotiator, Harlan Watson, appeared unruffled.

"Kyoto is a political agreement, it's not based on science," he said, adding "we do not intend to change our approach" to climate change.

Legal implications

The Kyoto accord, the world's most ambitious and complex environmental treaty, legally commits 39 industrial nations and territories, including Japan and Europe, to trim their output of six greenhouse gases - especially carbon dioxide - by at least 5.2% by 2012, compared with 1990 levels.

Russia's ratification last month gave the protocol the final stamp of approval needed to go into force on February 16.

But the administration of US President George W Bush has refused to ratify the treaty. And signatories China and India are producing more greenhouse gases as their economies grow.

Washington's refusal to sign onto the accord is based in part on fears that it could crimp the country's economy. It also believes the treaty's commitments should apply to every country in the world, including developing nations.

Delegates to the conference here are trying to address a post-2012 framework to tackle climate change.

But the US' Watson said "we do not believe it's (an) appropriate time to talk about post-2012" negotiations.

The US delegate said that business investment in improved technology is expected to lead to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

EU delegates have been pushing for an understanding of longer-term issues that could possibly lay the groundwork for a post-2012 agreement.

Global warming already taking place

The renewed US rejection of Kyoto came as Argentina's health and environment minister, Gines Gonzalez Garcia, warned that global warming was already ravaging his country.

"In Argentina, we have been carrying out a systematic study of those adverse effects, and the evidence gathered indicates that the problem is even worse and is speeding up at a faster pace than formerly anticipated," he said.

The South American nation has seen more frequent storms and tornadoes, floods, receding glaciers and a rising sea level, he said, adding that the climate change poses worrying health risks.

He said these weather patterns are "some of the signs confirming in our country that what were identified as possible consequences of global warming are already taking place."

- AFP