03.08.2010

Diplomats reassure US remains fully committed to climate change agreement despite Senate decision to drop climate change legislation.

Following the Senate decision to ditch proposed climate legislation, US diplomats at this week's Bonn climate talks yesterday attempted to downplay the implications insisting the Obama administration stood by its pledge to reduce US carbon emissions by 17% against 2005 levels by 2020.

The decision from the US Senate to drop plans for a climate and energy bill overshadowed the opening day of the latest round of UN climate change talks with critics arguing that the move damaged the US negotiating position. However, US climate envoy, Todd Stern, insisted the Senate's failure to pass climate change legislation would not impact the 17% carbon emission target submitted by the US as part of the agreement reached at last year's Copenhagen summit.

Stern provided few details on how the US administration planned to ensure the 17% carbon emission target is met. The Obama White House is known to be considering a fresh attempt to pass climate legislation following mid-term elections in the autumn, and is also working on a Plan B that would see carbon emissions regulated through the Environmental Protection Agency.

Stern told Reuters: "The president has made it perfectly clear that he continues to be very significantly committed to the goal of getting significant energy and climate legislation done." He added that the US remained fully committed to delivering significant progress towards an international climate change agreement at this year's main UN climate change summit in Cancun, Mexico.

Figueres said diplomats still have to reach climate change agreement on how to formalize carbon emission targets, measure, report and verify carbon emission cuts

In the mean time, newly appointed UN climate chief Christiana Figueres told delegates at the Bonn summit that they had to pick up the pace of negotiations if genuine progress is to be delivered at this year's climate summit. Figueres detailed the challenges still faced by the negotiations, outlining how diplomats still had to reach climate agreement on how to formalize carbon emission reduction targets, measure, report and verify carbon emission cuts, and raise finance for climate-related products.

There are only 11 more days of official negotiations scheduled before the Mexico climate summit. This week's meeting in Bonn will be followed by week-long talks in Tianjin, China on 4 to 9 October. An additional meeting of the Major Economies Forum is expected to also be scheduled ahead of the Mexico climate change summit, although observers are increasingly concerned that time is running out for tangible progress to be made this year.

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