U.S. Chamber Study: Greenhouse Gas Will Rise Despite Accords

A new analysis released by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Institute for 21st Century Energy concludes that, “even if emissions reduction pledges made under the Copenhagen Accord were adopted, the world would still see a significant rise in greenhouse gas emissions, primarily because of growing emissions from developing countries.”

The report titled “Copenhagen Accord By-the-Numbers,” analyzed “all 2020 emissions reduction targets submitted by developed and developing nations to the Copenhagen Accord,” the bulletin explained. “Under the Institute’s analysis, even if the targets submitted are adopted, global emissions in 2020 will still be above 2005 levels by as much as 20 percent.”

The Chamber points out that the Accord has not been made a formal part of the UN’s Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), but is a “political agreement to stimulate action, with parties to the UNFCCC invited to submit their individual emissions reduction pledges and other actions to the UNFCCC secretariat last month.”

Steve Eule, VP for climate and technology at the Chamber’s Institute for 21st Century Energy, stated: “The road to an international climate agreement is a very difficult one, as evidenced by the challenges negotiators faced in Copenhagen. Looking ahead, with many of the most contentious issues in the climate negotiations unresolved, there’s an opportunity to open up a new chapter that focuses less on unrealistic targets and timetables and more on cooperation among governments and the business community.”

The Energy Institute has called for a realistic international approach that must include a larger role for the business community and emphasizes energy efficiency and new and advanced technology as integral to global energy and climate policy. Other priorities for the U.S. Chamber include reducing trade barriers for energy technology and maintaining strong intellectual property rights.

Source: U.S. Chamber of Commerce – www.uschamber.com

Topics USA