01
Jun
2002
Publications Notes de l'Ifri
Pierre LEPETIT

Climate Change Politics in the U.S. - From Rio to Johannesburg Policy Paper, June 2002

Without the United States, and because the rules have been relaxed in the Bonn and Marrakech bargaining, the Kyoto protocol will have only a modest impact on worldwide emissions...

One year ago international negotiations on climate change were expected to cease after the decision of President Bush to reject the Kyoto Protocol as "fatally flawed".

Despite the Bush administration's position, the rest of the world agreed at the sixth UNFCCC1 Conference of the Parties (COP6) in Bonn to push ahead without the United States, and a number of decisions were adopted at COP7 in Marrakech in November 2001. It allows for an imminent ratification of the Kyoto protocol before the Johannesburg summit in spite of Canada's understandable reluctance.

Nevertheless the goal set by the Convention of Climate Change will not be reached unless the United States participates fully in the international effort.

 

Climate Change Politics in the United States: From Rio to Johannesburg