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Web version of a press release issued on 5th July 2005 by SGR
George
Bush's latest comments on climate change in an ITV interview in advance
of the G8 summit demonstrate an unacceptable level of intransigence on
the issue, says Scientists for Global Responsibility (SGR) and Architects
and Engineers for Social Responsibility (AESR). President Bush's comments
which include rejection of any agreement that would set national targets
for greenhouse gas emissions and a preference for long-term technologies
such as hydrogen fuel cells over near-term action should be met with a
tough response, say the two groups. As well as not watering down any G8
agreement to suit the US, such a response should include the drawing-up
of possible economic penalties such as import duties on carbon intensive
goods.
Dr Stuart Parkinson, Director of SGR, said The continued hostility of the US
Administration to taking strong action on climate change is simply unacceptable
given the strength of scientific evidence of the dangers. While long-term innovation
is important, it should not be prioritised over near-term technologies like renewable
energy neither should critical political and economic action to encourage changes
in consumer behaviour be neglected.
Martin Quick, Vice-Chair of AESR, said "The G8 should support negotiations
within the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change for an agreement to follow
Kyoto which is both effective and fair between countries at different stages
of development. The principle of 'Contraction and Convergence' as proposed
by the UK based Global Commons Institute could be the basis of such an agreement.
In this, a global cap on greenhouse gas emissions is set which progressively
reduces at a rate agreed to limit the risks from climate change, and within this
total, each country's emissions quotas progressively converge to an equal per
capita amount, and emissions trading is permitted. By including developing countries,
such a framework would remove one of the major US objections to Kyoto."
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