Archived press release

Rich countries' contribution to climate change growing

3 June 2003

The world's richest countries are failing to curb the pollution that's causing global climate change, says a report published by the United Nations today [1]. Emissions from countries such as the United States, Canada and Australia grew in the 1990s despite their promising, with other industrialised countries, to lead action to reduce the problem.

And based on projections provided by the governments themselves, the United Nations report anticipates that the combined emissions of Europe, Japan, the US and other highly industrialised countries could grow by 17% between 2000 and 2010 despite domestic measures currently in place to limit them.

Friends of the Earth International Climate Co-ordinator Kate Hampton said:

"This report shows governments from rich countries are failing in their commitment to take a lead in preventing dangerous climate change. It reinforces the need for tough domestic measures to cut emissions and for action to bring Kyoto Protocol into force. Rich countries with rising emissions should be ashamed - they are threatening the lives and livelihoods of millions of people. The United States and Australia should be especially ashamed as they have refused to even ratify Kyoto."

Notes

[1] The report, National Communications from Parties is available from UNFCCC at: http://unfccc.int/resource/docs/2003/sbi/07.pdf (PDF†).

†To view PDF files you will need to download Adobe Acrobat Reader. Visually impaired users can get extra help with these documents from access.adobe.com.

For further information please contact the Friends of the Earth media team on 020 7566 1649.

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Archived press release

Rich countries' contribution to climate change growing

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