U.S. President George W. Bush has urged the industrialised nations to co-operate over climate change ahead of this week's G8 summit in Hokkaido, Japan. Speaking at a joint press conference with host Japanese Prime Minister, Yasuo Fukuda, the president said he would use the summit to advance American ideas on combating climate change.
Though sounding as if he intended to lead other G8 leaders towards a useful and binding conclusion on the restriction of carbon emissions, Bush hinted that, unless emerging industrial nations like China and India don't agree with his proposal, nothing could be achieved.
He said he intends to:
The United States has in the past refused to sign up to any binding carbon emissions agreement arguing that it should apply to all countries, not just advanced economies. Critics of the Bush administration's policies have said that unless the U.S. takes the lead, other high-polluting economies will be loath to follow.
Though sounding as if he intended to lead other G8 leaders towards a useful and binding conclusion on the restriction of carbon emissions, Bush hinted that, unless emerging industrial nations like China and India don't agree with his proposal, nothing could be achieved.
He said he intends to:
"remind people that the United States and Japan really do lead the world in research when it comes to clean technologies."
Bush added, however, that "I also am realistic enough to tell you that if China and India don't share that same aspiration, that we're not going to solve the problem." [source]
The United States has in the past refused to sign up to any binding carbon emissions agreement arguing that it should apply to all countries, not just advanced economies. Critics of the Bush administration's policies have said that unless the U.S. takes the lead, other high-polluting economies will be loath to follow.
At the same press conference, Prime Minister Fukuda has said he was confident ongoing consultations will result in an agreement to curb greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
Fukuda said the United States "has not really lost a sense of direction, generally, and that between our two countries we have consultations going on. And through these consultations, I think our views are gradually converging."Meanwhile former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe revealed yesterday that Mr Bush and French President Nicolas Sarkozy clashed repeatedly at last year's G8 summit in Heiligendamm, Germany with the French president threatening to walk out of the meeting, said Abe.
"Climate change is one of the most severe challenges that humankind faces today, and ... we shall continue to cooperate with the G8," he said. [source]
AFP reports that Abe said the two had "pretty fierce" discussions.
"In particular, President Bush and President Sarkozy had a fierce dispute," Abe said.Abe told reporters the recently elected Sarkozy and President Bush clashed mostly over their differing approaches to climate change.
"President Sarkozy was making his argument in a very strong way," in part because it was his first summit and he faced elections, the former PM said.
Asked if Sarkozy threatened to Bush to walk out of the summit, Abe said with a smile: "He said something close to that." [source]
Image top: PM Fukuda meets with President Bush in Nov 2007 at the Oval office: Credit: Eric Draper/White House.
Image below: G8 logo.
";?>
mqcn ewqayfk osfickp kzuamf axcysh wbiyfp iknmjb
Cool blog
Thanks, webmaster.