November 13, 2007

International Climate Change Negotiations Paula J. Dobriansky, Under Secretary for Democracy and Global Affairs Written Testimony Submitted to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Washington, DC

 

Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee, thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today.

When President Bush hosted the Major Economies Meeting on Energy Security and Climate Change in September 2007, he stressed that climate change is a real problem, and humans are contributing to it. He also underscored that the United States takes climate change very seriously, for we are both a major economy and a major emitter.

Addressing this global challenge requires substantial global reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. Meeting this long-term challenge requires a long-term commitment by the international community. And we are committed to doing our part.

As a party to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the United States shares with the other 190 Parties to the Convention its ultimate objective of stabilizing greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system in a time-frame that allows ecosystems to adapt, ensures that food production is not threatened, and enables economic development to proceed.

We look forward to the UN Climate Conference in Bali, Indonesia in December, where we will work to advance negotiations. The Bali conference will mark the beginning of an important process toward a new global framework. In developing a new post-2012 framework on climate change, we seek a global approach that is environmentally effective and economically sustainable. This framework should involve a real effort and commitment of major economies in accordance with their national circumstances.

There is broad international consensus that climate change is best addressed as part of an integrated agenda that promotes economic growth, advances energy security, reduces pollution, and eradicates poverty– as well as mitigates greenhouse gas emissions.

The President has put forth a comprehensive climate change policy. Our robust, flexible approach involves the promotion of international cooperation, near-term policies and measures to slow the growth in greenhouse gas emissions, the advancement of climate change science, and vigorous efforts to accelerate low-carbon and no-carbon technology development and deployment. As Secretary Rice has said, we will need a technological revolution.

The President has requested, and Congress has provided, substantial funding for climate change science and observations, technology, international assistance, and incentive programs—approximately $37 billion since 2001. The President’s fiscal year 2008 budget requests nearly $7.4 billion for climate-related activities.

President Bush has consistently highlighted the importance of international cooperation in developing a global response to the complex and long-term challenge of climate change. On May 31, he called upon the world’s major economies, from both the developed and developing world, to work together toward a global goal on long-term greenhouse gas reductions. This initiative recognizes that the major emerging economies must join together in a common effort, and that economic growth, energy security and climate change must be addressed in an integrated and sustainable way.

The first Major Economies Meeting (MEM) on September 27-28, 2007, in Washington, D.C., was attended by the personal representatives of leaders from seventeen major economies and the United Nations. In his speech during the MEM, President Bush emphasized, among other things, that these countries would work within the UN process to strengthen programs addressing energy efficiency and to advance the global transfer and adoption of clean energy technologies.

Progress towards a global emissions reduction goal will be underpinned by midterm national targets and programs. In addition, participants will work on sectoral approaches to low carbon power generation, transportation, and land use and steps to disseminate technologies by creating an international clean energy fund and removing trade barriers. The President also proposed strengthening climate-related efforts that benefit all countries, including promoting adaptation to climate change, reversing deforestation and promoting clean energy technology.

By the end of 2008, the Major Economies process will generate a detailed contribution to a post-2012 framework. Our aim is for the Major Economies process to advance negotiations toward a global agreement under the UNFCCC by 2009. Leaders from all G8 and APEC countries have embraced the Major Economies process as a constructive input to the global effort.

Under President Bush’s leadership, the United States is successfully carrying out a number of international collaborations—including the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate (APP), the Carbon Sequestration Leadership Forum (CSLF), the Group on Earth Observations (GEO), the Generation IV International Forum (GIF), the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP), the International Partnership for a Hydrogen Economy (IPHE), the Methane to Markets Partnership (M2M)—and our 15 bilateral and regional partnerships which involve 79 nations and the European Union.

Our results at home compare well with those of other industrialized nations. For the years 2001-2005, inclusive, the U.S. population grew by 5 percent and our GDP grew by 12 percent, while greenhouse gas emissions increased by 1.6 percent. Latest estimates show that from 2005-2006, our economy grew 2.9 percent, while energy-related carbon dioxide emissions decreased 1.3 percent.

For more info : http://www.state.gov/g/rls/rm/95132.htm
 

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