Positions of International Players on Climate Change

United States Is the only major country that has rejected the entire process as flawed The Americans have three major reasons for opposing the Kyoto accord:

1.Based on the minority scientific view that,while climate change may be occurring, it may be for natural rather than anthropogenic reasons. The U.S. is unwilling to proceed with policies that might have devastating economic impact without stronger scientific evidence

2.The U.S. believes that emission reduction could not be accomplished without causing profound damage to the economy of the USA. Remember the ties of Pres. Bush and vice-pres. Cheney to the oil industry.

3. No significant progress has been made on an agreement to limit the growth of greenhouse emissions in developing countries. They point out that emissions are growing more rapidly there in percentage terms,than in the developed world.

European Union The EU nations have remained steadfast in their commitment to fight global warming by expanding alternative energy use and working towards more efficient use of conventional energy. The have gone the farthest of any developed nation.

Canada, Russia, Japan, Australia, New Zealand This group occupies the middle ground between the US and the EU. They have not backed away, like the US,but have not embraced it like the EU.

Developing World Led by China (the world’s second largest producer of greenhouse gas emissions) and India, the group of 77 (a coalition of countries of the developing world) rejects any responsibility for a problem they feel was created by,

and therefore should be solved by, the developed world. There is no denying the fact that rapid population growth has caused increased greenhouse emissions. The clearing and burning of rainforests, the use of coal and other fossil fuels, and the expansion of animal herds have added CO  and methane to the atmosphere.

“ In the developed world only two people ride in a car, and you want us to give up riding the bus!” ~ China’s delegate at Kyoto.

Alliance of Small Island Nations Some face the risk of disappearing under rising sea levels and take the problem of global warming seriously. The pushed for a 20% reduction in emissions

Because they have little economic or political power, their concerns were largely unheard.