Blair optimistic at G8 on climate change match with US
Prime Minister Tony Blair’s resilient belief about a successful deal on climate change at the G8 summit echoes a similar belief that a Brit can win Wimbledon. Mr Blair said a global agreement leading to a "substantial cut" in greenhouse gases could be reached at the three-day summit in Germany, where the leaders of countries accounting for 70% of emissions are gathering.
The difficulty is that the US has made it clear that their philosophy on climate change excludes agreeing to specific emission cuts. Leaked documents suggest that Washington objects to a draft G8 agreement to cap global temperature rise at two centigrade for this century and halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The draft was prepared by the German G8 presidency a few weeks ago. The US also refused to sign the Kyoto Treaty saying it is opposed to mandatory targets.
[via BBC and Press Assoc.]
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Nevertheless, Mr. Blair is spouting optimism about an agreement on emission cuts.
“I believe it is possible to get all that way. You could have a situation where this is agreed at the G8 - which is my preference - or you could see how it is agreed in principle, but you have to work out the details of it later," he said speaking to the Guardian.
Climate change is likely to be overcast by ongoing tension between the US and Russia over a nuclear defense system. American plans to station missile defences in the Czech Republic to which Russian President Vladimir Putin has threatened to aim weapons at Europe if the system is developed.
Blair does have supporters for his optimism, but from the wrong side of the Atlantic. The European Union, which includes half of the G8 members, has already adopted commitments to limit global temperature rise and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20% from 1990 levels by 2020. European countries are pushing for a new treaty to replace the Kyoto accord with stricter limits on greenhouse gas emissions. Even though, the climate change match with the US is likely to remain at deuce for a while to come.
