APEC MOVES THE DEBATE NOWHERE

Hopes that the US and China might be drawn into a meaningful agreement on emissions reductions were utterly obliterated. Hopes that these recalcitrant countries will join in the world's confrontation with climate change are regularly disappointed. Oh well. Good people will go on doing what is right. Despite leaders who see only short term economic values and leave the heavy lifting to others.

Pacific Rim Nations Adopt Nonbinding Emissions Targets
Tim Johnston (w/Andrew C. Revkin), September 10, 2007 (NY Times)

WHO
The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation

The big guys on the block could have led the way. (click to enlarge)

WHAT
The APEC nations agreed on “vague,” and “nonbonding” goals for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

WHEN
- The Sydney, Australia, meeting closed September 9.
- The agreement calls for the emissions’ goals to begin after the expiration of Kyoto’s Phase 2 in 2012.

WHERE
APEC is made up of 21 “Pacific Rim” nations: Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, People's Republic of China, Hong Kong, China, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Chinese Taipei, Thailand, United States, Viet Nam

WHY
- There were hopes going into the conference that a Kyoto Protocols-like emissions-trading plan developed by Australia and New Zealand might win wider approval within the group. Howard simply recognized the political realities and referred to the agreement as the best he could get.
- US President George Bush stood firm on his advocacy of voluntary emissions reductions.
- The agreement included an expression of “hope” that after 2030 every 1% of national economic growth would not increase emissions more than 0.75%
- Environmentalists and critics of the agreement claim it reveals leaders’ lack of urgency on the climate change issue.

The news of the day was President Bush's verbal flubs. What history will record is another of these men's failures to intervene in the growing climate change challenge.

QUOTES
- APEC statement: “The world needs to slow, stop and then reverse the growth of global greenhouse gas emissions…”
- Australian prime minister John Howard: “What one has to do is find the maximum that individual countries will agree to at the present time, take that, bank it and move on to something further in the future…”
- Ben Pearson, Greenpeace: “It’s business as usual…”