Archived press release

Blair must push bush to act on climate change

11 November 2004

Tony Blair must make it clear to President Bush that US refusal to join the international war on climate change is unacceptable when the two leaders meet in Washington this week, Friends of the Earth said today [1].

Despite being the world's biggest polluter, the United States continues to refuse to join international efforts to combat global warming, arguing that to do so would have a negative effect on the US economy [2].

Friends of the Earth's director, Tony Juniper, said:

"The United States is the world's biggest contributor to climate change, but it refuses to join the rest of the world in efforts to tackle it. Tony Blair must make it clear to President Bush that the US position is arrogant, dangerous and completely unacceptable. If Mr Bush wants to improve US relations with the rest of the world he must wake up to the catastrophic threat we all face and join the international war on global warming."

"The UK must also do more to combat climate change in the UK. This is why the chancellor must put the fight against climate change at the heart of his forthcoming pre-Budget statement."

Friends of the Earth US President Brent Blackwelder, said:

"Instead of just bowing to the wishes of his campaign contributors in the oil industry, it's time for President Bush to accept the overwhelming scientific evidence on the terrible risks the world faces from global warming. Millions of people around the world will be forced to deal with the terrible consequences of the US government's inaction. It's about time the Bush administration abandoned its reputation as the dirty man of the world, and played a leading role in creating a cleaner future for us all."

President Bush was further isolated on the issue of global climate change last week when Russia finally ratified the Kyoto protocol. Its ratification means that the international climate treaty will now come into effect and be legally binding from early next year. Over 120 countries have now signed the Protocol including developing countries such as China - the US is the only G8 country not to have signed.

Notes

1. Tony Blair has promised to put the fight against global warming at the top of the international agenda during the UK's Presidency of the EU, and chairing of the G8. However, the Prime Minister appears to have failed to mention climate change in his congratulatory message to President Bush following the US Presidential elections. See: http://www.number-10.gov.uk/output/Page6528.asp

2. President Bush pulled out of the Kyoto Protocol in 2001, arguing that US business interests would be harmed by the treaty. The United States is responsible for a quarter of the world's carbon dioxide emissions (the principle greenhouse gas), yet it only has around four per cent of the world's population.

The Bush administration exaggerated the scientific uncertainties in order to confuse the case for action. Voluntary US measures to combat global warming have been in place for over ten years, over this period US emissions have increased by 14 per cent (compared to 1990 levels). Its Kyoto commitment - which it refuses to ratify - was to reduce them by six per cent.

Friends of the Earth International is the largest grassroots environmental network in the world with more than one million members in over 70 countries.

If you're a journalist looking for press information please contact the Friends of the Earth media team on 020 7566 1649.

Published by Friends of the Earth Trust