Environmental Defense Fund Issues Kyoto Climate Scorecard

(7 December, 1997 - Kyoto, Japan) The Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) today issued a scorecard to grade the environmental proposals in Vice President Gore’s speech to the Kyoto Climate Convention.

To move the conference toward a strong agreement, the speech must include the following six environmental points:

• An early start on binding reductions of greenhouse gases below 1990 levels;
• All greenhouse gases must be controlled, not just three gases as some countries propose;
• Strong and credible compliance mechanisms;
• A path leading toward participation by developing nations;
• Preservation and enhancement of forest carbon sinks must be encouraged;
• A framework calling for the earliest possible and most cost effective emissions reductions.

“The Vice President must break the logjam in the negotiations,” said EDF executive director Fred Krupp. “The treaty cannot just be a piece of paper filled with good intentions. The US must agree to cut emissions below 1990 levels, the European Union must agree to be accountable for their greenhouse gas emissions commitments and Japan must agree to limitation of all six greenhouse gases.”

“Global problems require global solutions,” said EDF atmospheric physicist Dr. Michael Oppenheimer. “For the treaty to be an environmental success, all greenhouse gases must be reduced and a pathway must be created toward the participation of all nations.”

“The treaty must be structured to encourage the soonest possible and most cost-effective greenhouse gas reductions possible,” said EDF senior economist Dan Dudek. “The treaty must also keep the world’s forests growing and promote global re-forestation. Protecting forests from burning and cutting will keep carbon dioxide from building up in our atmosphere and warming the planet.”

USE THE ATTACHED SCORECARD TO RATE THE SPEECH