Gabriel – US Blocking Climate Change Progress

The German Environment Minister, Sigmar Gabriel, has denounced the US following the two day Climate Change conference in Potsdam.

His denouncement was based on America’s role in blocking progess on the implementation of a global carbon trading scheme and the rewarding of developing nations for protecting their natural endowments.

The meeting involved the G8 nations and developing nations including Mexico, India, China, Brazil and South Africa. A positive message came from the conference with industrialisd and developing nations alike reaching consesus on the scale and nature of climate change. For any substantial impact to be made by a shift to a low-carbon world economy the developing world must be included. Their presence at the Potsdam Conference is a promising step in the right direction.

However, progress in developing mechanisms and tools to combat the problem were stymied by what has been described by Mr Gabriel as ‘not subtle’ opposition from the United States. This author assumes the US feels it is doing enough to combat climate change by changing their clocks to daylight savings time early (see previous post).

Considering that the United State’s history regarding the Kyoto Protocol, Gabriel was quite correct when he stated, “I would have been surprised if I’d expected something different.”

I have the feeling he isn’t the only one.

But can we really blame the US. The global community has obviouly picked a bad time to come pestering them on climate change while they are bogged down in Iraq, pondering sanctions on Iran and President Bush having just finished a tour of South America that could be described as ‘unwelcoming’ to say the very least.

At the same time, don’t you think it would make sense for the US to take part in an initiative that could not only be successful but that the global community actually supports as well? It would be a pleasant change.