Speeches and Articles by U.S. Consul General James B. Cunningham

The US shows environmental leadership

8 February 2007

(This article was published by South China Morning Post on February 8, 2007, and this article is not for commercial use.)

The United States recognised several years ago the challenge posed by climate change, and has been taking steps to address it. Since 2001, we have set aside US$29 billion on activities related to climate change. We committed an additional US$6.5 billion this year.

President George W. Bush recently announced new, concrete measures to address the serious issues of climate change, energy security and sustainable development both at home and abroad. This comprehensive plan will reduce petrol usage in the US by 20 per cent over the next decade, stop the projected growth of carbon dioxide emissions from US cars and sports utility vehicles, and reduce America's dependence on oil.

The plan focuses on road transport - one of the largest sources of US greenhouse-gas emissions - and rapidly accelerates the use of renewable fuels.

The US is already the global leader in the production of biofuels. The new plan requires the use of 132.5 billion litres of renewable and alternative fuels by 2017, five times more than current targets. Sources include ethanol from corn, plant waste and wood chips, as well as biodiesel, methanol and other alternative fuels. This will have a real impact, and will displace as much as 15 per cent of the projected annual petrol use.

To further reduce the use of fossil fuel, we are increasing fuel-efficiency standards. We expect to cut petrol use by an additional 5 per cent, or 32 billion litres.

How will the plan affect the environment? Increasing the use of renewable fuels and mandating tougher standards could cut annual carbon dioxide emissions by 10 per cent by 2017. This is like taking 26 million cars off the road.

Mr Bush's plan builds on a long record of American action on global climate change that all too often goes overlooked. In 2002, the US set an ambitious goal to reduce the ratio of US greenhouse-gas emissions to our economic output by 18 per cent by 2012. 

We have introduced new technologies and implemented a wide variety of policies, including many mandatory, incentive-based and voluntary programmes that allow for both environmental stewardship and economic growth. Our emissions performance since 2000 has been among the best in the developed world.

In addition to taking action at home, the United States is collaborating with countries around the world to address climate change.

Last year, the US started the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate (APP) to bring together Australia, China, India, Japan, South Korea and the US to tackle complementary energy, economic and environmental goals.

These countries account for about half of the world's economic output, energy use and greenhouse-gas emissions. In each nation, the governments and private sectors have formed partnerships to develop and deploy clean, efficient energy technologies.

Emissions from developing countries - notably China and India - will likely surpass those from developed countries by 2010. The APP thus includes China and India as equal partners and participants in co-operative projects for addressing climate change, while promoting economic development.

The APP is one of many such international partnerships we have initiated since 2002 to promote development and the use of new, cleaner technologies. These include partnerships to collect and reuse methane, a powerful greenhouse gas; to capture and safely store carbon dioxide; and to develop cost-effective hydrogen and fuel-cell technologies.

Through such programmes, the US seeks to make a real difference on climate change by generating tangible results, in both the short and long terms.

It is time to get beyond rhetoric and take real steps that make a difference. We look forward to continued work with our Asian partners on this serious global challenge.

James B. Cunningham is the US consul general in Hong Kong