Brev til George W. Bush om operationaliseringen af Kyoto-proto- kollen (eng)
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Til underretning for Folketingets Europaudvalg vedlægges den svenske statsminister Göran Perssons og kommissionsformand Romano Prodis brev til den amerikanske præsident George W. Bush vedrørende operationaliseringen af Kyoto-protokollen, herunder genoptagelsen af den 6. partskonference under klimakonventionen.
Letter from Göran Persson and Romano Prodi to President
Bush
Stockholm, 22 March 2001
The President of the United States of
America
Mr. George Bush
WASHINGTON D.C.
Dear Mr. President,
We write this letter in order to express our deep concern for the risks connected with climate change. We also wish to underline the commitment of the European Union to urgent action to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases.
As you know, the great majority of climate experts, members of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, have already indicated that they see clear evidence of a human impact on climate. In the Third Assessment Report they are warning for even more tangible negative effects than previously expected. The consequences of climate change may have a detrimental impact on a great many countries. Storms and other dramatic weather phenomena may become more abundant and cause considerable damage and injuries .
The Kyoto Protocol, adopted in 1997, gave a forceful signal that all major Governments were taking climate change seriously. This has led to important research and development of new and renewable sources of energy and of innovative steps in the transport sector, including the automobile industry. But since a reduction in our dependency on fossil fuels goes straight to the heart of the functioning of our industrial societies, there is no doubt that this transformation will be difficult to achieve. Howeve r, looking at the challenges of climate change, the transformation also offers many opportunities to modernising our economy which often lead to overall economic advantages and which help to safeguard old and/or create new employment. It will require a clear vision, political courage, and an extraordinary effort of international cooperation.
The European Council will, when it meets in Stockholm on 23-24 March, address the concern related to climate change with a view to reaffirming its strong commitment to the Kyoto Protocol as the basis for international action to reduce emissions and to urging all its negotiation partners to engage constructively in reaching agreement on modalities for implementing the protocol at the resumed COP-6.
We would therefore like to emphasize that to the Union an agreement at the resumed session of COP 6, on the basis of the Kyoto Protocol and leading to real reductions in green house gas emissions, is of utmost importance. The global and long-term importance of climate change, and the need for a joint effort by all industrial countries in this field makes it an integral and important part of relations between the USA and the EU. A dialogue between the USA and the EU on how to facilitate a successful outco me of the resumed COP-6 is therefore urgently needed and we would like to express the wish of the Union to initiate such a dialogue at the highest level as soon as possible.
Göran Persson Romano Prodi