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Response to Bush and Merkel press statement - Greenpeace


WEBWIRE

Heiligendamm, Germany — Official Greenpeace responses to statements made by Bush and Merkel today.

Responding to the statements made by Bush and Merkel at Heiligendamm today, Greenpeace international climate policy expert, Daniel Mittler said:

“If Bush wants to commit to a post-Kyoto agreement to fight climate change, then he must first ratify the Kyoto Protocol and commit to what is necessary: a 50% global CO2 reduction by 2050, compared to 1990 levels. As he is not willing to do this, his words are hot air. Merkel must now send a clear signal to the world, and unilaterally commit Germany to 40% CO2 reductions by 2020. She must lead the other Kyoto members to make the commitments needed to achieve the 2050 target, and agree to binding emission targets now.”


Greenpeace UK statement
6th June 2007

Responding to reports that President Bush will not sign up to a proposed target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2050 at the G8 meeting, Greenpeace UK director John Sauven said:

“It took George Bush precisely one week to prove his critics right by slipping back into his default position of blocking action on climate change. Binding international targets are an indispensable weapon in the fight to keep temperature rises below two degrees, but Bush would rather we cross our fingers and hope for a techno-fix. The rest of the G8 should look beyond the White House and find partners in progressive states like California, where action by responsible politicians is leaving the President as isolated at home as he is abroad.”

James Connaughton, President Bush’s senior climate adviser, made clear today that the US did not believe the G8 should be the forum for setting targets. He told reporters: “There is significant agreement that those should be established on a national basis, and the only area of disagreement is that the G8 should dictate the national policies of its members.”



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