U.S. holds up ratification of 1997 emissions reduction protocol

  The Associated Press President of the Climate Conference
Jan Pronk, right, with Executive Secretary
Michael Zammit Cutajar, listen to an address on
Friday.

By Marcelle Richards
Daily Bruin Contributor

The 11-day United Nations Climate Change Conference ended Sunday
in a deadlock between the U.S. and European nations over the
decision to ratify plans to reduce greenhouse gases.

The Sixth Session of the Conference of the Parties met in the
Netherlands to ratify the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, which calls for a 5
percent emission reduction from 2008-12 compared to 1990
levels.

“The protocol would help accelerate energy efficiency and
energy independence which will be good for the U.S. economy,”
said Michael Williams, COP 6 spokesman.

Regardless, U.S. negotiators feared the measures designed to
limit use of fossil fuels and curb carbon dioxide output contained
in the protocol would be too stringent on the high energy-consuming
lifestyles of many Americans.

More than 7,000 participants rallied together to discuss the
implementation of the Kyoto Protocol, with UCLA contributing to the
efforts through scientific research and student activism.

Law professor Kal Raustiala, of the Institute of Environment,
organized a conference for the University of California’s
Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation last April to discuss
the implementation of the Kyoto Protocol.

The IGCC gave a presentation at COP 6 to address their concerns,
including the economic issues many countries such as the U.S. face
in regards to implementation.

“The fact is that the U.S. is historically a major emitter
of the gases that cause climate change and given this, as well as
our wealth and influence, we need to show stronger leadership on
this issue,” Raustiala said.

“Right now most senators are unwilling to consider
approving a treaty that will cost Americans economically, and that
is because they rightly assess that Americans are unwilling to take
seriously the risk that climate change is real and happening right
now,” he said.

Sue Moran, a California Public Interest Research Group activist
who has worked closely with UCLA’s chapter, attended the
Hague conference to battle the problem in a different way.

She and other CALPIRG attendees spent hours protesting U.S.
hesitancy to ratify the protocol, including a march during which
120 were arrested.

Carbon dioxide is the primary greenhouse gas, and the U.S.
““ which accounts for 24 percent of the world’s
combustion emissions ““ is the No. 1 polluter in the world due
to its dependency on cars and power plants, according to the
International Energy Agency.

While the environment bears the scars of a depleted ozone layer,
increased air pollution and extensive damage to ecosystems, Moran
said environmental problems also carry social consequences.

When the conference began, 30 of the 55 nations necessary had
already ratified the Kyoto protocol, according to U.N. reports. All
of the countries that endorsed the protocol were developing
nations.

“The damage caused by climate change aggravates the
socioeconomic inequalities that already exist. The poorest people
often live in the worst locations in the world,” Moran said.
“It is they whose economic resilience is lowest.”

From now until 2020, the International Energy Agency forecasts a
steady rise in worldwide energy use of 2 percent each year and
increasing carbon dioxide emissions at same rate.

COP 6 delegates worked to ratify changes that would hold
industrialized nations accountable for measures to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions and make sure developing countries follow
suit. Delegates also sought to convince private companies that
reducing greenhouse gas emissions will pay off.

“Once businessmen and women are convinced of that, we can
rely on them to come up with new, eco-friendly techniques which in
turn generate jobs and other opportunities,” said U.N.
Secretary General Kofi Annan at the conference. “Until now,
corporations have profited by polluting the environment. In the
future we must make sure they have an incentive to clean it
up.”

Because the U.S. relies so heavily on fossil fuels,
representatives at the conference sought to find a way to meet
emission reduction targets through other alternatives.

Negotiations are set to continue in 2001. The meeting, COP 7,
will take place in Marrakesh, Morocco, from Oct. 29 to Nov. 9.

Though negotiations are postponed, committee President Jan Pronk
remains optimistic in noting a similar occurrence with the
Biosafety Protocol to the Convention of Biological Diversity in
Feb. 1999. In Jan. 2000, the meeting reconvened and succeeded in
adopting the agreement.

“It is extremely disappointing that political leaders were
unable to work it out here and finalize guidelines for reducing
greenhouse gas emissions,” Pronk said. “But I believe
the political will to succeed is still alive.”

The conference won a few victories in outlining measures needed
to provide the funds necessary to support and transfer technology
to developing countries to aid in global climate control.

But the remaining aspects of the Kyoto Protocol remain
unresolved.

“The Senate has the power to consent to Kyoto, and to any
future agreement. If that does not happen global climate policy
will suffer significantly,” Raustiala said. “Until we
as citizens show, through our voice and our actions, that we
recognize this as a serious risk, and one that may haunt future
generations, very little will change on Capitol Hill.”