The importance of Green America

Today the Times carries an article claiming that Obama is on the verge of committing to substantial cuts in US greenhouse gas emissions. The news comes as the climate change UN summit in Copenhagen risks descending into a bloodbath as poorer African nations threaten to walk out unless serious guarantees are made by the developed world.

Obama's intentions are welcome. But the report also reveals that the President may

wait until the final stages of the negotiations

in order to achieve

maximum political impact

through the announcement.

The fact the the US is finally taking the issue of cuts seriously is welcome. The years of climate change denial that characterised George Bush's presidency exacerbated tensions on cutting greenhouse gas emissions among the developed states whose responsibility it is to set an agenda that is meaningful and is acceptable to poorer states. Without the US on board, any climate change proposals are seriously undermined simply as a result of America's economic clout and its colossal impact on the environment in terms of emissions.

But the US should not be waiting around in order to maximise the political clout of environmental announcements. It is Obama's responsbility to set out an agenda that is transparent at the start of negotiations. The report highlights that the US

was not expecting smaller countries to cut their overall emissions but it wanted to see specific commitments from them on reducing their growth in emissions

It is imperative that Obama applies pressure to the most industrially advanced 'developing' states - namely China, Brazil and India - to make urgent commitments to substantially reduce their own emissions. Such demands are politically and economically sensitive, as they rely heavily on fossil fuel consumption to expand their economic output.

There is an important distinction between these states and those at the very bottom of the pile - the African and Asian countries that make a much smaller impact environmentally. If action is taken by the well-equipped industrialised members of the 'developing' group, the tendency for the worst off countries to feel 'victimised' by richer nations may well be reduced.

A stronger commitment from Obama may draw the battle lines for a war of emissions that is essential if climate change is to be taken seriously. But he cannot wage such a war on his own.