Major International Effort Needed on Global Warming
Prime Minister Tony Blair yesterday called on the United States to take action to address the mounting crisis of global warming. "If America wants the rest of the world to be part of the agenda it has set, it must be part of their agenda too," Blair said. At a time when the Bush administration is still questioning the reality of global warming, Blair called for specific steps to fight the problem as outlined by The International Climate Change Taskforce, a project co-sponsored by the Center for American Progress and chaired by Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME) and British MP Stephen Byers. The recommendations include:
Mandatory caps on carbon emissions in the U.S. and other developed nations. All developed countries should introduce national mandatory so-called "cap-and-trade" systems for carbon emissions, harnessing market forces to curb pollution. Governments should also increase investment in energy efficient technologies and practices through such measures as the phase-out of fossil fuel subsidies and requiring export credit agencies and multilateral development banks to adopt minimum efficiency or carbon intensity standards for projects they support.
Establish a long-term climate objective and build momentum to stop the rapid increase in the earth's temperature. A long-term objective should be established to prevent global average temperature from rising more than 2°C (3.6°F) above the pre-industrial level, to limit the extent and magnitude of climate-change impacts. A global framework should be set up that builds on existing international agreements, and enables all countries to be part of concerted action on climate change at the global level in the post-2012 period.
A focus on developing renewable energy sources and more sustainable forms of agriculture. G8 governments should work to establish national renewable portfolio standards to generate at least 25 percent of electricity from renewable energy sources by 2025. G8 governments should also increase their spending on energy research and development and shift agricultural subsidies from food crops to biofuels while safeguarding sustainable agriculture and biodiversity.
Mandatory caps on carbon emissions in the U.S. and other developed nations. All developed countries should introduce national mandatory so-called "cap-and-trade" systems for carbon emissions, harnessing market forces to curb pollution. Governments should also increase investment in energy efficient technologies and practices through such measures as the phase-out of fossil fuel subsidies and requiring export credit agencies and multilateral development banks to adopt minimum efficiency or carbon intensity standards for projects they support.
Establish a long-term climate objective and build momentum to stop the rapid increase in the earth's temperature. A long-term objective should be established to prevent global average temperature from rising more than 2°C (3.6°F) above the pre-industrial level, to limit the extent and magnitude of climate-change impacts. A global framework should be set up that builds on existing international agreements, and enables all countries to be part of concerted action on climate change at the global level in the post-2012 period.
A focus on developing renewable energy sources and more sustainable forms of agriculture. G8 governments should work to establish national renewable portfolio standards to generate at least 25 percent of electricity from renewable energy sources by 2025. G8 governments should also increase their spending on energy research and development and shift agricultural subsidies from food crops to biofuels while safeguarding sustainable agriculture and biodiversity.
