Nations Go Head-to-Head at Climate Conference in Poznan

The Progress Report. Posted December 5, 2008.

EUROPEAN UPHEAVAL: Among industrialized nations, the European Union has been leading the way. In order to limit global warming to 2°C above pre-industrial times, it is "committed to reducing its overall emissions to at least 20% below 1990 levels by 2020, and is ready to scale up this reduction" if the United States and other developed nations make similar efforts. It has taken action to strongly reduce automotive emissions and has had a successful cap-and-trade system for power plants and other major pollution sources in place since 2005. But Silvio Berlusconi's right-wing government in Italy, joined by ex-communist nations of Eastern Europe, are fracturing the coalition by arguing that the global recession prevents action on the climate crisis. On Wednesday, "Italy blocked a deal on renewable energy development" and "is also threatening a veto" of the EU plan to phase out subsidies for industrial polluters.  The global activist organization Avaaz warns, "Crucial European leadership on climate change is in jeopardy - putting the current global negotiations to avert the climate crisis at serious risk." Avaaz has a petition calling for "an immediate outcry targeting three critical countries: Italy, Germany, and Poland," to challenge Europe to regain a unified position by the close of the conference.

OBAMA'S CHALLENGE: The challenge facing President-elect Barack Obama next year will be immense. Leading conservatives still question the existence of man-made global warming, industries litigate against emissions regulations, and polluters spend hundreds of millions of dollars a year to distort public opinion and public policy. Despite these forces of denial, Obama recognizes the severity of the climate crisis. Saying "delay is no longer an option," Obama promised the international community that "the United States will once again engage vigorously in these negotiations, and help lead the world toward a new era of global cooperation on climate change." Obama has called for the United States to reduce emissions to 1990 levels by 2020, a dramatic U-turn from Bush's planet-dooming opposition to mandatory emissions reductions. This comes not a moment too soon, as U.S. greenhouse gas emissions increased by 1.4 percent from 2006 to 2007. As Indian official Dinesh Patnaik told Reuters, "It's not ambitious enough considering the Kyoto Protocol targets, but given the eight-year Bush administration it's progress."  The triple crisis facing the new administration based on "our dangerous over-reliance on carbon-based fuels" -- global recession, violent turmoil, and climate change -- also represents opportunity. In the words of Sarah Wartell, acting CEO of the Center for American Progress, "Success for the 44th president means making a convincing case for the green economic revolution."

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