TOPIC 'Environment' on Dec 15, 2008 (CET)
International Climate Talks Are Anxiously Awaiting The Deeds Of The New U.S. President
Meetings and discussions on climate change began on December 1, 2008 and will last through December 12. The meetings are being held in Poznan, Poland, and there are three main topics of conversation: emission goals, funding, and the President-Elect of the United States, Barack Obama.
These talks signal the halfway point of efforts to update or replace the Kyoto Protocol treaty which is set to expire in 2012. The new climate change treaty is scheduled to be brought to a conclusion in December 2009 in Copenhagen, Denmark.
It should come as no surprise that countries are skeptical of the role the new United States President will play, as in 2001, President Bush completely walked away from the Kyoto Protocol, showing no interest in it at all. The U.S. is a significant contributor to global warming; therefore, it is difficult for a plan to be completely effective without the participation of significantly involved parties.
Trying to assemble a consensus on all the varying aspects of the issues addressed in such a treaty is no easy matter. However, most countries are hopeful and optimistic as they wait to see what President Obama and the new Congress will have to say about the treaty’s endeavors.
All throughout the U.S. presidential election, President-Elect Obama has called for much higher reductions in U.S. greenhouse gas emissions than the Bush Administration has for the last eight years. Obama has set goals at reducing U.S. emissions by 2020 to 1990 levels, and to further reduce emissions 80 percent more by 2050. However, some countries, such as China and India, still think the U.S. isn’t making a strong enough commitment.
Over 11,000 people are attending this meeting in Poland from 190 countries. One of the top concerns is from poorer and developing countries that do not have the finances to implement emissions reducing programs. The United Nations said early in the discussions that these developing countries will need $130 billion a year to play the role they need to in reducing emissions. The poorer countries say that the richer countries need to take the bulk of the responsibility, and therefore the funding, because the majority of the emissions pollutants come from those countries. The industrialized nations are currently concerned about the global economic recession and are unsure of the amount of money they feel they can commit to climate change.
The new Kyoto Protocol treaty is still very much a work in progress and it is hoped that solutions to all these issues will become clearer as the months progress.
Sherry Irvin
on behalf of the
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