A change in US climate policy paves the way for post-Kyoto agreements
By: Vilhjálmur Nielsen , Energy Consulting Network
September 2007

The G8 Summit in Heiligendamm in Germany this spring saw a US president that was vague in the wording, but nevertheless was willing to accept that US will be bound by a UN decision on climate commitments after 2012.

Before he left for the Summit, the US president presented his Climate Plan for the public at the US Global Leadership Campaign. Maybe it was a coincidence that the words "US Global Leadership" were connected to the climate policy, but it is evident that the US sees itself as the natural global leader on all major issues. A recent report from retired admirals and generals from all branches of the armed services on "National Security and the Threat of Climate Change" that was published just before the G8 Summit gave further evidence that the US needs to act seriously on Climate Change.

It is thus clear that the US has a strong incentive to take a leading role of what should become a successful policy regime. Up to now the development and formulation of policies and mechanisms are developing without the participation of the US.

Several US states have declared unilateral CO₂ reduction commitments; so have many large cities and industrial companies. With working voluntary CO₂ markets and a market for carbon offset projects, the political distance to a federal involvement in overall national actions is not that far. No wonder that, for example, Exxon Mobil stops lobbying against the Kyoto Protocol and emission reduction efforts and starts a discussion on how a national cap and trade programme should be designed.

The US has the capability to define ambitious goals and lead the process to success. This has been shown with the Apollo Programme which has the goal "...before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth". A fullhearted participation of the US to combat Climate Change will thus be seen in more effort put into technology development and technology transfer.

I look forward to seeing the development.