Washington to ‘make up for lost time’ in climate-change fight
- Source: The Global Times
- [07:39 April 29 2009]
- Comments
By Zhang Wen
United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told representatives of 16 major economies this week that Washington “is responsible for past emissions” and “ready to lead” the global fight against climate change.
She spoke yesterday at the Major Economies Forum on Energy in Washington, adding that the US will work “to make up for lost time, both home and abroad.”
“I assure you that the United States will work tirelessly toward a successful outcome of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change negotiations,” she said.
Clinton also hinted that developing countries, such as India and China, need to be included. “Of course, each economy represented here is different,” she said. “But people everywhere have a legitimate aspiration for a higher standard of living.”
Catherine Fitzpatrick, Greenpeace China’s advisor on climate and energy, wrote in her latest published article, “Meeting of the Mind,” that US President Barack Obama “appears to have broken this decade’s long trend of neglect” and “put climate on the agenda of every major world leader.”
“China is now seen as a key trend setter, not only in the region but also globally. Both President Hu and President Obama have been given an extraordinary opportunity as leaders,” Fitzpatrick wrote.
The Global Wind Energy Council says the US is the world’s top energy-consuming nation, but efforts are being made to curb usage there. The US House Committee on Energy and Commerce introduced on March 31 the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009, seeking public comment. The draft legislation calls for a 20 percent reduction in greenhouse gases by 2020.
Li Yan, a climate-change specialist with Greenpeace China, said she believes the US is sending a positive message to the world on addressing climate change. “The statement and actions by the US will inspire and encourage other countries to do more in the fight against climate change, especially America’s allies,” she said. “However, we are waiting expectantly for concrete movement in the US.”