Obama stresses need for unity
Source: Agencies |
December 19, 2009, Saturday
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UNITED States President Barack Obama urged world leaders yesterday to "act together" on an accord to fight climate change, but he did not offer new American commitments to cut emissions that some see as crucial to a deal.
Obama, addressing counterparts in Copenhagen, reiterated American offers, called for transparency from other countries in how emissions curbs are checked, and said the US would continue to fight global warming regardless of what happened at the summit in Denmark.
"I believe we can act boldly, and decisively, in the face of a common threat," he said. "That's why I come here today - not to talk, but to act."
The US has offered to cut its greenhouse gas emissions roughly 17 percent by 2020 from 2005 levels or 3 percent from 1990 levels.
Those goals correspond to legislation passed by the US House of Representatives, and Obama - who is eager to turn the bill into a law - did not offer more aggressive targets.
He acknowledged that deal texts circulating in Copenhagen were not perfect and did not give every country whatit wanted, but he said that shouldnot prevent a deal from being reached on climate change.
"There is no time to waste," he said. "America has made our choice. We have charted our course, we have made our commitments, we will do what we say.
"I believe it's the time for the nations and the people of the world to cometogether behind a common purpose. We are ready to get this done today. But there has to be movement on all sides."
With a nod to lawmakers back in Washington, Obama said the US would push ahead with its efforts to fight climate change even if the Copenhagen talks failed.
"America is going to continue on this course of action to mitigate our emissions and to move towards a clean energy economy no matter what happens here in Copenhagen," he said.
Some environmentalists criticized his remarks.
"This speech appears to be more of a face-saving exercise for President Obama than an attempt to unite countries around a truly planet-saving agreement," said Friends of the Earth US President Erich Pica in a statement.
"The US has failed to significantly improve upon the weak position it brought to these talks."
Obama, addressing counterparts in Copenhagen, reiterated American offers, called for transparency from other countries in how emissions curbs are checked, and said the US would continue to fight global warming regardless of what happened at the summit in Denmark.
"I believe we can act boldly, and decisively, in the face of a common threat," he said. "That's why I come here today - not to talk, but to act."
The US has offered to cut its greenhouse gas emissions roughly 17 percent by 2020 from 2005 levels or 3 percent from 1990 levels.
Those goals correspond to legislation passed by the US House of Representatives, and Obama - who is eager to turn the bill into a law - did not offer more aggressive targets.
He acknowledged that deal texts circulating in Copenhagen were not perfect and did not give every country whatit wanted, but he said that shouldnot prevent a deal from being reached on climate change.
"There is no time to waste," he said. "America has made our choice. We have charted our course, we have made our commitments, we will do what we say.
"I believe it's the time for the nations and the people of the world to cometogether behind a common purpose. We are ready to get this done today. But there has to be movement on all sides."
With a nod to lawmakers back in Washington, Obama said the US would push ahead with its efforts to fight climate change even if the Copenhagen talks failed.
"America is going to continue on this course of action to mitigate our emissions and to move towards a clean energy economy no matter what happens here in Copenhagen," he said.
Some environmentalists criticized his remarks.
"This speech appears to be more of a face-saving exercise for President Obama than an attempt to unite countries around a truly planet-saving agreement," said Friends of the Earth US President Erich Pica in a statement.
"The US has failed to significantly improve upon the weak position it brought to these talks."
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