New Report Assesses U.S. Actions on Global Climate Change
At the June 1992 Earth Summit, the U.S. joined other countries in agreeing to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by the year 2000. One year after the introduction of the Clinton Administration’s “Climate Change Action Plan,” the U.S. has completed the first assessment of its policies and their impacts. Presented by Energy Secretary Hazel O’Leary last month at a hearing of the House Subcommittee on Energy and Power, the 200-page “Climate Action Report” provides a “snapshot” of current policies and the national circumstances that affect energy use, and evaluates progress to date.
Stating that “a nation’s vulnerability and response to climate change are greatly affected by its institutions, governing structures, economic arrangements, energy use patterns, land uses, population growth and distribution, and many other factors,” the report details the context in which the Administration’s programs must be implemented. It also provides an inventory of sources and sinks of emissions that might influence global climate change.
“Perhaps the key element of a country’s national circumstances is its political will,” the document adds. “The Clinton Administration has made the formulation and implementation of its `Climate Change Action Plan’ a priority.” To achieve emissions reductions, the Administration’s plan takes a “comprehensive, portfolio approach” by blending “market incentives, voluntary initiatives, research and development, improved regulatory frameworks, and intensified existing programs.”
The report evaluates progress towards implementing the plan and the accuracy of the projections upon which it is based: “Interim assessments to date show that significant progress has been made in meeting - and in some cases exceeding - these milestones, while in other cases specific measures are not performing as well as expected.” However, it finds that projections may need to be updated. “Since the time these projections were prepared and the U.S. Action Plan was published, the economy has grown at a more robust rate than anticipated, the price of oil fell sharply before recently rising toward projected levels, and the U.S. Congress, which must appropriate funding for federal agency programs, does not, for now, appear likely to provide full funding for the actions contained in the Plan.”
The report concludes: “The overall combination of changes in economic growth, in oil prices, and in energy demand currently suggests that the United States may need to implement additional measures to meet its commitment.” At the October 6 hearing, O’Leary tried to assess the situation optimistically. “While we did not fare as well in the appropriations process as we had hoped [receiving $107 million for these programs out of a $208 million request for FY 1995] due to the tight budget climate,” she stated, “we believe that we have sufficient funding to demonstrate the viability of our approach with an aggressive start.”
The report is available through Internet via gopher to summit.fiu.edu under State Department (DOS) Reports, or from the GPO’s Federal Bulletin Board (202-512-1387) in the DOS environmental library under “global issues.”
