Kyoto implementation threatened by EU/US stalemate
Agreement between the EU and the USA on how to limit environmental damage and ultimately climate change is proving difficult at the COP6 meeting in The Hague. The US wishes to plant forests (known as carbon sinks) and change farming practices as an alternative to reducing its use of fossil fuels, a move which is seen as unacceptable by the EU and environmental groups. They fear that this would undermine the Kyoto agreement, which requires the US to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 7 per cent. The US, along with Japan, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Russia claims that it can capture carbon from the atmosphere, and in doing so, avoid reducing domestic energy consumption. Abiding by the Kyoto agreement would mean cutting fuel use by 30 per cent for the US. The EU however opposes the carbon sink plan, and stated in its briefing paper on the EU's positions for COP6 its intention 'in view of considerable uncertainty over their scale and permanence, to limit the extent to which 'sinks' that absorb carbon, such as forests, can be used by industrialised countries to offset their emissions.' Michael Meacher, the UK's environment minister, who will shortly be joining the conference, is reported as having described the EU position as firm: 'As far as we are concerned there is no substitute for taking domestic action to reduce the emissions by burning less fossil fuels.' The EU is backed by many developing countries and environmental groups. Michel Raquet from Greenpeace has been reported as arguing: 'if the EU gives way on this then the Kyoto agreement will be so full of loopholes it will lose all environmental integrity. The Americans want credits if they chop down a forest then replant it with fast growing trees. It is nonsense.' Talks will continue until 24 November, by which time, all sides hope to have reached an agreement. Unless the ratification process can be started soon, the Kyoto process risks losing impetus.