The extent of climate change on earth hinges decisively on the outcome of the US elections on November 4th. Without a radical reversal of US energy and climate policy, expectations for a satisfactory outcome of the International Climate Conference in Copenhagen in early December 2009 look bleak.
Never before did US presidential and Congressional elections have such an importance for humanity: Without a strong commitment by the USA for a courageous reduction of C02 emissions, none of main emitter countries – China, EU, Japan, India, Russia, GCC- will take no more than lukewarm engagements.
The newly elected US President should therefore take a convincing stand in the “State of the Union Address” to Congress in January 2009. This is what humanity should expect the new US President to declare on that occasion:
“The US Government considers climate change to be the single overriding challenge for humanity during the 21st century. It will therefore take the necessary measures for massively reducing US emissions of green-house gases and thus help preventing the global temperature from rising by more than 2 centigrade.
It welcomes the EU offer to reduce its C02 emissions by 30 percent until 2020 if other developed countries were to undertake similar efforts. The US is ready to do so. It will immediately engage in talks with the EU on the practical modalities to that end, in particular a trans-Atlantic system of C02 emission trading.
The US government appreciates the readiness of China and other key emitters among emerging countries to engage in a more active climate policy. China is about to replace the USA as the single biggest C02 emitter country. Without China’s full engagement in fighting climate change, efforts from the rest of the world will be completely neutralised. The USA are prepared to assist China and other emerging countries in speeding up their efforts for the transformation of energy systems.
It is possible to reconcile rapid economic development with the necessary changes in energy technology. Most of these changes will aim at higher efficiency standards. Significantly higher automotive fuel efficiency is the most prominent example of what is possible. We possess impressive technologies for low-energy buildings and electricity generation from wind, water and solar sources. The US government will launch a massive research programme for making renewable energies fully competitive with energy from coal, oil or gas.
Humanity has no choice but to focus its creative talents and political determination on preventing climate change from destroying the basis of our common civilisation. The US government is determined to be among the vanguard of an effective offensive against climate change”.
A vibrant address along these lines would constitute the overdue message from Washington the world has been waiting for during the last 10 years. Let us hope that the next Administration will finally come forward with it.
Author : Eberhard Rhein