Earth Needs Strong Climate Policy Now, Says Environmental Defense

Environmental Defense today called on the Bush administration to put forward a strong climate policy with mandatory limits on the greenhouse gas pollution contributing to global warming. President Bush is expected to address the issue Monday before he travels to Europe to meet with leaders to discuss global warming and other international issues

“The only prudent response to the National Academy of Sciences report is the implementation of mandatory limits on emissions of greenhouse gases. The threat from global warming will continue to grow until these gases are brought under control,” said Environmental Defense chief scientist Michael Oppenheimer.

Environmental Defense called on the President to build on the fundamental framework of mandatory limits on greenhouse gas emissions from power plants and other sources, with market flexibility to meet those limits — a framework already in the Kyoto treaty on climate change. “Major corporations like BP, Dupont, Shell and others have already limited their greenhouse gas emissions while remaining profitable. The claim that addressing climate change will hurt the economy just doesn’t hold up,” said Environmental Defense executive director Fred Krupp.

This week the Mexican oil company Pemex agreed to limit its greenhouse gas emissions, the first Latin American state-run company to take a greenhouse cap. “Corporations in both industrial and developing countries want solid rules for addressing climate change, and they want market flexibility in meeting their pollution reduction obligations,” said Krupp. “The Kyoto treaty has that flexibility, and its sensible cap-and-trade framework is supported by American companies and European allies alike,” said Krupp.

Noting that on Friday Senator Robert C. Byrd (D-WV), introducing a climate change bill with Senator Ted Stevens (R-AK), had called for mandatory targets and had stated that a voluntary policy would undermine America’s credibility, Krupp said, “The only way to create the market-based approach the President says he wants is to put a binding cap on emissions. At next week’s summit the President should put forward an effective domestic and international climate policy that builds on the cap-and-trade Kyoto framework. The world will be watching to see what course the President chooses,” Krupp said.