U.S. defends its global climate efforts

Tulsa World, 2012-11-27

DOHA, Qatar (AP) - The United States claimed "enormous" strides in reducing greenhouse emissions at the opening of U.N. climate talks Monday, despite failing to join industrialized nations in committing to binding cuts.

The pre-emptive U.S. approach underscores a showdown expected at the two-week conference as China pushes developed countries to take a greater role in tackling global warming.

China's delegate, Su Wei, said rich nations should become party to an extended Kyoto Protocol - an emissions deal for some industrialized countries that the U.S. long ago rejected - or at least make "comparable mitigation commitments."

The U. S. rejected Kyoto because it didn't impose any binding commitments on major developing countries such as India and China, which is now the world's No. 1 carbon emitter.

American delegate Jonathan Pershing offered no new sweeteners to the poor countries, only reiterating what the United States has done to tackle global warming: investing heavily in clean energy, doubling fuel efficiency standards and reducing emissions from coal- fired power plants.

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