EU, U.S. at loggerheads over global warming

THE HAGUE, Netherlands -- The European Union and United States are at loggerheads over how to reduce greenhouse gases, as key international leaders join a U.N. summit on global warming.

The climate conference at The Hague is seeking to set down rules and procedures for the implementation of emissions cuts laid out three years ago in the Kyoto Protocol.

After a week of preliminary talks, key politicians are now bargaining over the toughest aspects of curbing emissions that are changing the Earth's climate.

GLOBAL WARMING Find out how the greenhouse effect works

But the EU maintains the U.S. is seeking to avoid making any cuts in its greenhouse gas emissions, claiming it is looking for "free gifts" to get out of politically difficult policies in the energy, transport, industry and agriculture sectors.

Some 2,000 lower-level officials spent last week preparing the ground for negotiations among environment ministers or cabinet-rank officers from at least 150 countries, but they failed to resolve differences over how best to protect the planet.

EU Environment Commissioner Margot Wallstrom said keeping the U.S. on board was critical. "It would be absurd if the biggest emitter of greenhouse gases would not ratify the Kyoto Protocol," she said on Monday.

The 1997 Kyoto Protocol calls for the reduction of emissions of carbon dioxide -- primarily from fossil fuels -- and other heat-trapping gases by an average 5.2 percent from their 1990 levels.

The main burden falls on the industrialised countries. Europe must cut emissions by eight percent, the U.S. by seven percent and Japan by six percent. The target date is 2012.

The U.S. has been criticised for what environmentalists and some governments say is an effort to wriggle out of its commitments.

The U.S. Senate already has passed a resolution making its ratification conditional on assurances that U.S. competitiveness on world markets will not be harmed.

Seven steps to save the planet

1.  An immediate halt to all oil exploration. 2.  A switch from fossil fuels to wind, wave and solar energy within 40 years. 3.  Mass production of solar panels to make solar power more affordable. 4.  All new homes to be built with highest possible energy saving standards. 5.  Insulation and energy efficiency increased on existing homes. 6.  Public transport and cycle routes improved, and people encouraged to walk rather than drive. 7.  Campaigns to educate the public on energy efficiency.

Members of the U.S. Congress have said they will block any climate agreement that could threaten economic prosperity and which did not include ways of ensuring developing countries are included in emissions reduction.

The U.S. delegation supports a variety of trading mechanisms that would enable countries to meet their requirements in part by buying or earning "credits" from countries that exceed their reduction quotas.

Senator Larry Craig, a Republican from Idaho, said: "What we want is a way that makes it work without penalising the economies of the world and our economy."

Conference chairman Jan Pronk said he wants an agreement that will be both "environmentally credible" and politically acceptable to budget-conscious governments.

Pronk said last week's preliminary talks brought some progress but no conclusion on any of the key issues. Most nations at the talks want each country to meet its target by moving away from petroleum-fuelled economies and by imposing greater efficiency.

Craig and Senator Chuck Hagel, a Republican from Nebraska, were sent to observe the negotiations, which are being conducted for the U.S. by State Department officials led by Undersecretary of State Frank Loy.

U.S. officials said that they felt the Europeans had not reciprocated what they called their efforts to find common ground and show flexibility.

If the conference ends in agreement, any treaty enforcing a new global emissions behaviour would have to be ratified by most of the industrial countries. Without a U.S. endorsement, it would be difficult for such a treaty to come into force.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a board of 2,000 leading scientists, projects average temperatures may increase by up to 10.8 degrees over the next century, raising sea levels enough to sink low-lying islands, change weather patterns and kill some animal species.

On Saturday, thousands of activists from around the world erected a sandbag dyke around the Dutch conference venue to symbolize the threat of global warming.

The Associated Press & Reuters contributed to this report.

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UN Framework Convention on Climate Change
ECO -- The Climate Action Network Online
European Union
US State Department - Global Affairs
Kyoto Climate Change Summit

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