| Focus on COP15: US will regulate CO2 with common sense |
Focus on COP15: US will regulate CO2 with common sense
The United States for the first time outlined a dual path toward cutting greenhouse gases that would involve both President Barack Obama's administration and the US Congress to reduce greenhouse emissions.
AP/Nanet Poulsen 09/12/2009 15:25
Speaking Wednesday at the UN climate conference in Copenhagen, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson (photo above) described her agency's decision that greenhouse gases should be regulated as complementary to US legislation — not an effort to supplant the work of Congress.
"This is not an either/or moment. This is a both/and moment," she told.
The EPA on Monday gave the president a new way to cut back on greenhouse gas emissions when the agency determined that scientific evidence clearly shows they are endangering Americans' health. That means the EPA could regulate those gases without the approval of the U.S. Congress.
The EPA decision was welcomed by other nations in Copenhagen that have called on the US to boost its efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
The full US Senate has yet to take up legislation that cleared the Senate environment committee and calls for greenhouse gases to be cut by 20 percent by 2020, a target that was scaled back to 17 percent in the House after opposition from coal-state Democrats.
"We need legislation" to remove any uncertainty that businesses might have, Jackson added. "The reason for legislation is to take that question out of their minds. ... We will work closely with our Congress to pass legislation to lower our greenhouse gases more than 80 percent by 2050."
Jackson said the US would take "reasonable efforts" and also "meaningful, common sense steps" to cut emissions, but didn't provide specifics.
Negotiators on Wednesday, meanwhile, worked to bridge the chasm between rich and poor countries over how to share the burden of fighting climate change, and the top US climate envoy, Todd Stern, highlighted the Obama administration's efforts to curb greenhouse emissions.
"We are under no illusion this is going to be easy," Stern said. "But I think an agreement is there to be had if we do this right." (Photo: Scanpix/AFP) |
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