Press release - 6 June, 2007
Official Greenpeace responses to statements made by Bush and Merkel today.
Responding to the statements made by Bush and Merkel at
Heiligendamm today, Greenpeace international climate policy expert,
Daniel Mittler said:
"If Bush wants to commit to a post-Kyoto agreement to fight
climate change, then he must first ratify the Kyoto Protocol and
commit to what is necessary: a 50% global CO2 reduction by 2050,
compared to 1990 levels. As he is not willing to do this, his words
are hot air. Merkel must now send a clear signal to the world, and
unilaterally commit Germany to 40% CO2 reductions by 2020. She must
lead the other Kyoto members to make the commitments needed to
achieve the 2050 target, and agree to binding emission targets
now."
Greenpeace UK statement
6th June 2007
Responding to reports that President Bush will not sign up to a
proposed target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2050
at the G8 meeting, Greenpeace UK director John Sauven said:
"It took George Bush precisely one week to prove his critics
right by slipping back into his default position of blocking action
on climate change. Binding international targets are an
indispensable weapon in the fight to keep temperature rises below
two degrees, but Bush would rather we cross our fingers and hope
for a techno-fix. The rest of the G8 should look beyond the White
House and find partners in progressive states like California,
where action by responsible politicians is leaving the President as
isolated at home as he is abroad."
James Connaughton, President Bush's senior climate adviser, made
clear today that the US did not believe the G8 should be the forum
for setting targets. He told reporters: "There is significant
agreement that those should be established on a national basis, and
the only area of disagreement is that the G8 should dictate the
national policies of its members."
VVPR info: Jo Kuper - Greenpeace International +31 6 46 16 20 39 Daniel Mittler - Greenpeace International +49 171 876 5345
Exp. contact date: 2007-06-16 00:00:00