The United States came under pressure to show leadership in UN
climate talks with Mexico saying its neighbour is a stumbling block
in efforts to try to craft a tough global climate agreement by
December.
The United States has been criticised by developing countries and
green groups in talks in the Thai capital for not being able to put
a tough emissions reduction target for 2020 on the table, instead
focusing on a 2050 target.
Developing nations also worry over Washington's position that any
new climate pact should set legally binding domestic steps to cut
emissions as a benchmark for global action to fight climate
change.
"I think that they are in an uncomfortable position since they
cannot put on the table any figures unless the Congress process is
clearer," Fernando Tudela, head of the Mexican climate delegation
in Bangkok, said.
"They are increasingly identified as a stumbling block for the
negotiations and it's up to them to dispel this perception and to
show the real leadership we're expecting from them."
A climate bill drafted by US Senate Democrats aims for a 20% cut in
greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 from 2005 levels.
But President Barack Obama's administration says he is unlikely
to sign the legislation before a major December conference in
Copenhagen aimed at sealing a new climate pact.
The Senate bill target equates to a seven percent cut on 1990
levels by 2020, far below the 25%-40% cuts by then that the UN
climate panel and developing countries say rich nations should
support to avoid dangerous climate change.
"Whenever Congress delivers legislation then once again the US will
not be in a process to negotiate because (its) hands will be tied
by whatever comes out of the Congress," Tudela said.
"They still have to prove that, in whatever legal form, they are
able to deliver the abatement that would be conducive to a fair
share towards meeting the climate targets."
Delegates from about 180 nations are in Bangkok to try to narrow
differences on sharing the burden of slowing climate change through
a tougher agreement that from 2013 would replace the Kyoto
Protocol.
Kyoto only binds 37 rich nations, not including the United States,
to emissions targets between 2008-12.
The Bangkok talks are the last major negotiation round before the
December 7-18 Copenhagen meeting.
Transparent
Tudela worried about efforts by the US and other rich nations to
shift away from Kyoto to a new framework.
"Our preference would be to keep Kyoto as it is, and build a
compliment to Kyoto, involving enhanced participation from
developing countries with support from developed countries and a
much enhanced participation of the US."
The head of the US delegation, Jonathan Pershing, called on
developing nations to be more transparent in what actions they take
to curb emissions growth.
Many poorer nations have resisted this unless they receive money
and technology to adapt to the impacts of climate change and green
their economies.
Big developing nations such as China, India and Indonesia are among
the world's top greenhouse gas emitters.
"The United States is of the view that there are two pieces to
what's binding," Pershing told reporters.
"The first piece is what every country does at home. Our view is
that the strongest part of a legal instrument is what we each
commit to in our countries. So what we're looking for is for
countries to pass laws to move forward on this issue," he
said.
"An international agreement is strong because it supports that
national action. We do think it should be binding internationally.
We think that countries should take their actions and make them
publicly visible, transparent."
