Scant Progress on Post-Kyoto as Climate Talks End (big Business wins)

[rodeodance]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=578&ncid=578&e=9&u=/nm/20041218/ts_nm/environment_dc

Scant Progress on Post-Kyoto as Climate Talks End
Sat, Dec 18, 2004

By Mary Milliken

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (Reuters) - U.N. talks on climate change ended early Saturday with few steps forward as the United States, oil producers and developing giants slammed the brakes on the European Union (news - web sites)'s drive for deeper emissions cuts to stop global warming.

Although negotiators said they brokered an 11th-hour agreement on two items, the EU made it clear that the deal fell short of its goal to get talks rolling for after 2012, when the Kyoto protocol to cut greenhouse gases runs out.

"A lot of people are afraid of discussing the future," said EU head delegate Pieter van Geel, the Dutch environment secretary.

......
But it soon became clear that Washington was sticking to its 2001 decision to bow out of Kyoto for fear of the impact that mandatory emissions curbs would have on economic growth. Moreover, the delegation reiterated that it would be "premature" to negotiate for after 2012.........

[MasonJar]

1. Aren't we just wonderful?