YES WE CAN?

from grist.org
Germany looks to climate breakthrough with Obama
Posted at 8:53 AM on 21 Jan 2009

BERLIN -- Germany is looking to a breakthrough on climate protection after President Barack Obama's pledge to "roll back the specter of a warming planet", Berlin's environment minister said Wednesday.

"The United States appears to have awoken from its Sleeping Beauty slumber when it comes to climate change with the new direction indicated yesterday by the White House," Sigmar Gabriel told reporters.

"With the United States' ambitious objectives for reducing emissions, we should also reach an accord with major countries such as China, Mexico, Brazil and South Africa on an international pact on climate protection in 2009."

In his inaugural address Tuesday, Obama said the United States would "roll back the specter of a warming planet" and "restore science to its rightful place" by making a commitment to fighting global warming.

Obama's remarks were a stark departure from the stance of his predecessor, George W. Bush, whose rejection in 2001 of the landmark Kyoto Protocol almost destroyed multilateral efforts to roll back global warming.

It was only after sharp criticism for holding up the deal that the Bush team signed the "Bali Roadmap" in December 2007 during a UN Framework Convention on Climate Change meeting that set a two-year deadline for a global agreement.

The Bush government had insisted, however, that emerging economies such as China and India make commitments to reducing greenhouse gases before Washington would make any binding agreements.

A new meeting in Copenhagen in December 2009 will attempt to complete a new UN climate treaty covering the period beyond 2012.

Meanwhile, The European Commission is estimating that the global cost of tackling climate change will reach 175 billion euros annually by 2020.

The annual figure will rise progressively to that amount, the EU's executive arm estimates in an internal report prepared for international climate change negotiations in Copenhagen.

Last month European leaders approved a climate change action plan which it hopes will become a model for the Copenhagen talks.

The European Commission has drawn up a series of proposals on the climate change/energy objectives to be shared out by other continents.

These will be discussed in Brussels next Wednesday when the global investment figure will be considered by EU commissioners and their departments among other measures.

All sectors of the global economy, including notably aviation and maritime transport, should take part in the effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, according to the commission.

source: Agence France-Presse