The Bush administration is hosting the second major economies meeting on energy security and climate change in Honolulu, Hawaii, starting Wednesday.
The U.S. government said the major economies process is to supplement the climate change negotiation process under the U.N. framework, but its resistance to mandatory pollution reduction goals leads to suspicion that it wants to bypass the U.N. process and advance its own objectives.
The following are some major policy positions on climate change of the Bush administration in recent years.
On March 28, 2001, President George W. Bush stated his opposition to the 1997 Kyoto treaty on global warming, saying it is "against U.S. economic interests and unfair."
On June 11, 2001, Bush said it remains uncertain how much of global warming is caused by humans and pledges to use science and diplomacy to fight it.
On Feb. 15, 2002, Bush presented a voluntary plan to slow the growth of heat-trapping gases blamed for global warming and announces tax incentives to businesses for voluntarily reducing emissions.
On June 4, 2002, Bush distanced himself from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's report to the United Nations on the negative effect of global warming, saying it was "bureaucratic" hot air.
On Oct. 8, 2004, Bush, reiterating his stance on the Kyoto Protocol during the U.S. presidential race, said U.S. participation "would have cost America a lot of jobs. It's one of these deals where to be popular in the halls of Europe you sign a treaty."
On Feb. 21, 2005, Bush stuck to familiar theme on global warming, repeating his call to use new technology to fight the effects of rising temperatures.
On July 6, 2005, Bush for the first time said he recognizes that "an increase in greenhouse gases caused by humans is contributing to the problem" of global warming.
On Jan. 23, 2007, Bush mentioned global warming for the first time in his State of the Union speech, saying solutions to the problem lie in technological advances and the use of renewable fuels like ethanol.
On May 31, 2007, Bush said he wants the world's major economies to "work together to develop a long-term global goal to reduce greenhouse gasses" and to agree on it by the end of 2008.
On June 6, 2007, Bush agreed to consider a European plan to combat climate change by halving worldwide emissions by 2050, at a summit of G8 world leaders in Germany.
Between Sept. 28 and 29, 2007, the Bush administration hosted the first major economies meeting on energy security and climate change in Washington.
On Dec. 19, 2007, Bush signed an energy bill that mandates the first major increase in vehicle fuel efficiency standards in over three decades.
Between Jan. 30 and 31, 2008, the Bush administration is hosting the second major economies meeting on energy security and climate change in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Source: Xinhua
|
Comment
Tell A Friend
Print Format
Save Article