WRI Cites Flaws in New White House Climate Initiative 2/12/2003
From: Christopher Lagan of the World Resources Institute, 202-729-7684; e-mail: clagan@wri.org WASHINGTON, Feb. 12 -- The World Resources Institute (WRI) today voiced concerns over President Bush's voluntary program of emissions reductions for corporate America announced by Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham and EPA Administrator Christine Todd Whitman. While recognizing the White House for finally acknowledging the need for a climate program, WRI finds the initiative itself to be lacking in any real environmental benefits. "A year ago, both the White House and many of these same corporations were in denial the problem of global warming even existed," said Jonathan Lash, president of the World Resources Institute. "This voluntary program is better than nothing under current political realities, but not much better." Lash said the president's Climate VISION, or "Climate, Voluntary Innovative Sector Initiatives: Opportunities Now," initiative is inherently flawed as it reflects the same goals he announced in 2002 to reduce greenhouse gas gases. WRI research has shown these targets will not reduce such emissions, but will instead increase them by 14 percent by 2012. "Nature does not respond to symbolic gestures," said Lash. "As a response to the greatest environmental threat of the 21st century, this approach is timid, late, and unimaginative." The president's Energy Partners for Climate Action initiative calls for voluntary action on the part of corporate America to meet the White House's 2002 greenhouse gas intensity reduction target of 18 percent by 2012. (GHG intensity measures the ratio of greenhouse gas emissions to gross domestic product). This differs from the Kyoto Protocol, accepted by most of the international community, which call for mandatory reductions in total emissions. Despite its flaws, the business community can take some positive steps within the administration's framework by adopting a more reliable accounting regimen for their greenhouse gas emissions. "Businesses are key player in mitigating climate change," said Elizabeth Cook, director of WRI's Sustainable Enterprise Program. "Without meaningful targets, however, and an accurate and mandatory system for measurement and reporting, the program is flawed from the start." WRI has been working with over 350 participants from business, NGO's, governments, and others to develop an internationally accepted accounting and reporting mechanism, called the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol (http://www.ghghprotocol.org). It is now the standard used by the pulp and paper industry, and the cement industry to report their emissions and guide their actions to reduce future emissions. Through programs like the Green Power Market Development Group (http://www.thegreenpowergroup.org), a unique partnership between WRI and ten major U.S. corporations dedicated to building corporate markets for green power, WRI works with business to take a proactive approach to protecting the environment and Earth's climate. "Our work within the corporate sector demonstrates there are serious players out there ready to make a real commitment to halting global warming," said Cook. "Until this administration starts taking this issue seriously and embraces mandatory caps on GHG emissions there is no economic incentive for business as a whole to address the problem." --- The World Resources Institute (http://www.wri.org/wri) is an environmental research and policy organization that creates solutions to protect the Earth and improve people's lives. |