July 17, 1996

(Geneva, Switzerland) Today, the Clinton Administration revealed for the first time that the US will seek a legally binding agreement to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide emitted primarily from the burning of fossil fuels. Under Secretary of State Tim Wirth announced this position on the heels of overwhelming evidence that global warming has arrived and is already negatively impacting human health and the environment.

The Clinton Administration also unequivocally defended and endorsed the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and stated that its latest report clearly provides a basis for "urgent" action. The IPCC Second Assessment Report was published this year and is based upon the peer-reviewed research of over 2,500 scientists from around the world.

"As with the international discussions on ozone depletion which led to the signing of the Montreal Protocol, negotiations are an incremental and science-driven process. Ozone Action is pleased that the Clinton Administration is standing up to extraordinary pressure from the fossil fuel industry and indicating a desire to play a leadership role in these negotiations," said Kelly Sims, a spokeswoman for the group.

Under Secretary Wirth's remarks, however, reject a proposal submitted by the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) calling for a 20 percent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions (based on 1990 levels) within ten years. AOSIS representative and Samoan Ambassador Tuiloma Neroni Slade stated today, "Our small island and low-lying developing countries believe that we have discerned first-hand the dangerous impacts of human interference with the climate system. Tropical Storms of increasing frequency and severity are devastating our homes, national economies and development plans. Global seal level has risen by 10-25 cm in the past century; clearly it poses the most profound threat to small island and low lying states." He continued, "The Second Assessment Report sounds a clear warning that we can no longer indiscriminately use the atmosphere as a dump for humankind's waste."

The Clinton Administration is also seeking market-based solutions, like tradable emissions credits, as a means of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

"We have already seen that non-binding, voluntary commitments don't work. Now, the Clinton Administration should not commit to a legal agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions on the one hand and negotiate loopholes and unenforceable provisions on the other," said Sims.

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