U.S. pushes climate change off the agenda
E.U. leaders are in Washington today to talk about global warming, but White House opposition has been so staunch that they're holding their breath — for now. They may be more vocal in front of a G8 forum, Sam Eaton reports.
Steam and exhaust rise up from a smokestack of a coal-burning power plant. (Sean Gallup (c) Getty Images)
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TEXT OF STORY
LISA NAPOLI: President Bush meets with leaders of the European Union today in Washington. From the Marketplace Sustainability Desk, our Sam Eaton says this was supposed to be a summit highlighting on climate change. But now the issue will be left off the agenda completely.
SAM EATON: The E.U. has promised to cut its CO2 emissions by 30 percent if the U.S. joins them, but the Bush administration remains opposed to any limits on greenhouse gas emissions.
So the topic is basically off limits.
David Doniger with the Natural Resources Defense Council says European leaders have been too polite with the White House. But that's about to change.
DAVID DONIGER: The real moment in the sun will be at the G8 Summit in Germany later this year. That's where we'll see whether the Europeans air their disagreements more publicly.He says for now European leaders are bypassing the Bush administration. They're reaching out directly to states.
California tops that list with its recent legislation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 25 percent by 2020.
In the meantime, today's Washington summit will stick with economic issues like trying to coordinate accounting standards across the Atlantic.
I'm Sam Eaton for Marketplace.
