Climate talks without India, China meaningless: US

Washington, Jul 19 (PTI) America has said that there
cannot be any meaningful talk on combating climate change
without the participation of major emerging economies like
China and India.

"President Bush has repeatedly stressed that his goal is
to reach agreement on a realistic global plan for reducing
emissions that is both environmentally effective and
economically sustainable," U.S. Under Secretary of State for
Global Affairs Paula Dobriansky said at a breakfast meeting of
the Asia-Pacific Partnership (A.P.P.).

"To get there, it is essential that major emerging
economies like China and India join developed countries in
combating climate change. That’s why the Asia-Pacific
Partnership is so important," she added.

The A.P.P. is a group of nations that comprises seven of
the world’s largest economies– Australia, Canada, China,
India, Japan, South Korea and the United States, which
together account for more than half of the world’s economy,
population, energy use and greenhouse gas emissions.

Speaking about the group's involvement with the private
sector and the NGOs in India she said, "The A.P.P.’s projects
inspire the imagination. For example, the A.P.P. is partnering
California with the Indian state of Maharashtra to help the
latter alleviate its 5,000 megawatt energy shortfall.

Elaborating, further, on the group's practical
on-the-ground activities which "complements international
negotiating agenda" she said, "Two U.S. businesses, American
Electric Power and the Southern Company, have been working
with Chinese electricity producers to move them closer to U.S.
levels of efficiency and lower rates of pollution.

"In the area of energy conservation, A.P.P. members are
working jointly to increase the quality and quantity of
compact fluorescent light bulbs across Asia."

The U.S. contribution to the A.P.P. is USD 70 millions
and it has been pointed out that Bush has asked for an
additional USD 52 millions in the coming fiscal and project
funds are expected to leverage more than USD 520 millions in
private sector funds.

"The A.P.P. is a great initiative, representing exactly
the kind of creativity and pragmatism we need in the fight
against climate change. In the relatively brief period since
it was conceived, the A.P.P. has established a track record
of meeting, and exceeding, the expectations we had in 2005,"
she said.

Talking about last week’s meeting of major economies
leaders in Japan she said, "It was a very important step in
the right direction. For the first time, leaders from 17 of
the world’s largest economies sat at the same table to tackle
tough issues that will be essential for a new global climate
regime."

"We all acknowledged our leadership role on this issue
and set out some important details on what we will do in the
long-term, mid-term and near-term. In the near-term, it’s
worth noting that major economy leaders called for "voluntary,
action-oriented international cooperation" in key sectors,
endorsing exactly the approach we are pursuing through the
A.P.P."

India has hosted an A.P.P. Ministerial last year and
China will be doing so next year.