“Breakthrough” is not a word generally associated with international talks on climate change. Nor is “progress”. The words that most often accompany reports on global warming negotiations are “stalemate” or “deadlock” or “frustration”.

And from a first glance at the G8 declaration on climate change – all 38 pages of it – you would be forgiven for thinking that it was just more of the same.

But hidden on page 16, under item 52, is a quite remarkable change to the international landscape on climate change.

The US has agreed to start negotiations on a successor to the Kyoto protocol at a UN meeting in Bali later this year.

Why is that so remarkable? Because since George W Bush became president, the US has rejected the Kyoto protocol and blocked attempts to start negotiations on a successor to the treaty when it expires in 2012.

So is it a breakthrough?

Well, we have to wait and see what happens in Bali in December before we can make a final judgement on that. But progress it certainly is. George W Bush has repeatedly scorned the UN and its climate change talks in the past. This time, he says he wants the US to be “actively involved, if not taking the lead, in a post-Kyoto framework, post-Kyoto agreement".

Of course, that could also mean the US wants to participate in order to stall agreement on a binding commitment to cut emissions, as some green groups suspect.

But even if that is the case, it still mean the talks can start this year. In 2009, there will be a different president who may take the US participation in a different direction. At least the process will have begun, rather than having to be started from scratch by a new president in 2009.

What was the reaction of most environmental groups? They didn’t like it. Read what they say here - Friends of the Earth; and Greenpeace.

June 7th, 2007 in Environment | Permalink