Bush makes climate pitch tied to technology

WASHINGTON - President Bush on Friday urged nations to set a goal for curbing emissions tied to global warming, but stopped short of accepting mandatory curbs laid out in an existing U.N. accord.

"By setting this goal, we acknowledge there is a problem, and by setting this goal, we commit ourselves to doing something about it," Bush said in a speech that capped two days of talks at a White House-sponsored climate change conference. "We share a common responsibility: to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while keeping our economies growing."

He said each nation should establish for itself what methods it will use to rein in emissions without stunting economic growth.

He also proposed the creation of an international fund to finance research into clean-energy technology, announcing that U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson would coordinate the effort and would be in touch with other governments soon about moving forward.

"Each nation must decide for itself the right mix of tools and technology to achieve results that are measurable and environmentally effective," Bush said.

Shortly before his speech at the State Department, officials issued a hand-sized handout for reporters emphasizing that the president was serious about the issue.

Myth: The president refuses to admit that climate change is real and that humans are a factor, the handout said. Myth: The U.S. is doing nothing to address climate change. Myth: The United States refuses to engage internationally.

British, German delegates react
Europeans say technology is crucial but not a substitute for binding targets on emissions.

“One of the striking features of this meeting is how isolated this administration has become. There is absolutely no suppport that I can see in the international comunity that we can drive this effort on the basis of voluntary efforts,” John Ashton, a special representative on climate change for the British foreign secretary, said in an interview. “I don’t think that this meeting by itself moves the ball very much at all. The much more significant meeting this week was at the U.N., where there was a sense of urgency.”

German Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel gave the equivalent of two cheers — not three — for Bush.

“This here was a great step for the Americans and a small step for mankind,” he said. “In substance, we are still far apart.”

Delegates were also gearing up for a possible confrontation about the meeting’s written conclusions. Gabriel said Germany would not support them if they did not reflect the fact that most of the countries present wanted binding targets.

The Bush administration strategy includes creating a process for more such talks and a possible long-term global goal for reducing emissions, with each nation permitted to draw up its own strategies and plans.

Representatives from among the gathering of 16 nations, along with the European Union and the United Nations, expressed skepticism that not much more than talking and political goals might be accomplished, but also optimism that at least the United States was willing to become part of such talks.

Until recently, said Emil Salim, an economist and member of the Indonesian president's council of advisers, Bush offered "no dialogue on the Kyoto Protocol whatsoever. This time, the members of the Kyoto Protocol are invited to discuss. So from that point of view, there is some improvement," he said. "But on the other hand, I think it has more to do with the domestic politics, because you have elections."

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