G8’s Gradual Move toward Post-Kyoto Climate Change Policy

Council on Foreign Relations ^ | January 25, 2008 | Toni Johnson

[ricks_place]

How have G8 members done under the protocol so far?

The EU’s environment agency projects Britain and France will meet their Kyoto obligations but other G8 members are struggling:

• Canada. Emissions have gone up as much as 35 percent since 1990 because of continued increases in the exploitation of the country’s oil resources, calling into question whether Canada can make its 5 percent reduction target.
• Japan. The second-largest economy in the world is also in jeopardy of not making its assigned goal. Japan’s emissions have risen over 8 percent, which means the country will now have to reduce emissions more than 14 percent by 2012 to meet its Kyoto target of 6 percent.
• Italy. Greenhouse gases have increased more than 12 percent above 1990 levels. Italy’s target is a 6 percent decrease by 2012.
• Germany. The world’s sixth-biggest carbon dioxide emitter faces criticism from environmental advocates and the European Union for plans to build twenty-six new coal-fired power plants (Spiegel), considered one of the main sources of greenhouse-gas pollution. A German plan to exempt coal plants from Kyoto requirements adds to concerns. Although Germany has managed a 17 percent reduction in emissions (very close to its overall goal of 21 percent under the protocol), much of those reductions came from shutting down power plants in former East Germany.
• Russia. Russia did not face mandatory cuts since its greenhouse-gas emissions fell well below the 1990 baseline due to a drop in economic output after the breakup of the Soviet Union...Russia’s electricity company stands to realize large profits from selling carbon credits to other industrialized countries...

What has the Bush administration done since it rejected Kyoto?

The United States would have been required to reduce its emissions 7 percent below 1990 levels had it accepted ratification of Kyoto. Instead, U.S. emissions rose more than 16 percent...

[vbmoneyspender]

Instead, U.S. emissions rose more than 16 percent...

I love our country.

[xcamel]

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[steelyourfaith]

"Hot Air Cult"

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[SteamShovel]

Russia did not face mandatory cuts since its greenhouse-gas emissions fell well below the 1990 baseline due to a drop in economic output

They say this and pretend they don't know what it means.

[Thebaddog]

I also noticed the lack of irony in the statement. No economy, no carbon footprint. “Pass the bearskinski, I’m going out to the outhouseski.”