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December 9, 2005: Mission Not Accomplished In Montreal; Majority of Countries Attending Have Substantially Increased Emissions

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NCPA: Mission Not Accomplished In Montreal; Majority of Countries Attending Have Substantially Increased Emissions

12/9/2005

To: National Desk, Environment Reporter

Contact: Richard W. Walker of the National Center for Policy Analysis, 800-859-1154, ext. 13 or richard.walker@ncpa.org

DALLAS, Dec. 9 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The only progress made at the Montreal summit on climate change is publication of a "rule" book specifying how emissions will be measured and emissions trades accounted for, and how penalties will be assessed for failure to meet goals, according to NCPA Senior Fellow H. Sterling Burnett.

"But about the only thing attendees really accomplished at the Montreal summit was to add tons of greenhouse gases into the air by traveling there," Burnett said. "It's highly unlikely that the majority of countries represented at the conference and facing mandatory emissions reductions -- including Canada, Japan and 11 of the 15 European Union countries -- will meet emissions targets required by the Kyoto Protocol."

In addition, penalties for failure to meet emissions targets rely upon a second accounting period during which signatory countries agree to reduce emissions. "In other words, no second timetable, no penalties for failure," Burnett added.

Although many Montreal conferees blame the U.S. for failure to reach consensus on a timetable for a second round of emission cuts, "the reality is that world leaders recognize that steep emissions reductions mean economic stagnation; they could go forward without the U.S. -- as they have with Kyoto -- but they don't want their countries placed at a competitive disadvantage with countries that are not bound by the agreement," he said.

Furthermore, two recent events support the U.S. approach to climate change.

-- Canada drafted a proposal promoting greener technology, which the U.S. has been at the forefront in funding and promoting. Although the U.S. did not support the final resolution, it represents significant movement toward the U.S. position.

-- The recent relocation of residents of Tegua on the South Pacific island of Vanuatu by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) after their coastal homes were repeatedly swamped by storms supports the NCPA's position that adaptation is the best and most productive response to climate change.

For example, a recent NCPA study on climate changed showed that problems most often linked to global warming are more effectively and economically resolved by adaptation rather than prevention (see http://www.ncpa.org/pub/st/st278/ ). ------ The NCPA is an internationally known nonprofit, nonpartisan research institute with offices in Dallas and Washington, D.C. that advocates private solutions to public policy problems. NCPA depends on the contributions of individuals, corporations and foundations that share our mission. The NCPA accepts no government grants.

Topic(s): climate news

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