Can you find ANY progress in Bush's Climate Change statement?

Burnig off gas - or reduce emissions, President Bush?
© WWF-Canon / Peter Prokosch

01 Jun 2007
Okay, so US President Bush announced a new plan on climate change. But what is actually new? And does it contain any substance?

HERE IS our WWF TEST ON BUSH AND CLIMATE CHANGE!

Does the US President announce:

1. Strengthened legally binding caps for developed nations, the US in particular? A domestic cap and trade regime?
2. Policies and measures, targets and timetables over and above the "technology approach"?
3. Development and support for an international carbon market?
4. Acceptance of Kyoto (and Kyoto+) under the UNFCCC as THE most legitimate key negotiation body?
5. Putting bilateral and other agreements SUPPORTING (and not instead of) the UNFCCC approach?
6. Any limit to global temperature rise? Even if it’s 2°C, 3°C, 4°C?
7. A number on a global emission limit, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50% GHG emissions reduction by 2030, 2050, 2100?
8. Compliance with the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, which the US ratified and which is therefore legally binding for the US? (the UNFCCC is demanding stabilisation of emissions by 2000 based on 1990 levels).
9. Concrete support (in $!) for developing countries' clean energy development? For fighting deforestation? For adaptation?
10. Domestic renewable energy targets?

NOTE: for the EU we would say YES on each of these points. Japan fulfills most of them, China already some. For the US we find NO YES.

Martin Hiller
WWF Climate Change Programme
http://www.panda.org