core sector communique

Clinton Pledges Environmental Action on Scandinavian Visit

By Charlene Porter

Staff Writer

Washington - The United States and Sweden are founding members of the Climate and Clean Air Coalition, and in Stockholm June 3 they announced further progress in expanding the campaign to reduce short-lived climate pollutants, such as methane, soot and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), used in refrigeration.

The international plan began as an agreement among the United States, Sweden and several other nations and international institutions in February. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said it has been winning converts ever since.

"We've been growing, bringing on all G8 countries, as well as Norway, Nigeria, Denmark and Colombia. And we were pleased when the World Bank and the European Commission signed up as well," Clinton said at a news conference with Sweden's Climate Ambassador Anna Lindstedt and Minister for the Environment Lena Ek.

"We've also increased our funding, thanks in part to contributions from Sweden and Norway. We are setting up a science advisory panel," Clinton said.

The coalition aims to make dramatic cuts in this special class of greenhouse gases, an action scientifically shown to have the short-term effect of slowing climate change, Ek said. "By preventing SLCPs emissions, we can significantly reduce near-term climate change and at the same time save 2.5 million lives per year, increase crop yields and food security, and promote gender equality and women's rights across the globe," she said.

Lives can be saved by using available, cleaner-burning technologies to reduce soot emissions, which are inhaled by women and children in developing world homes where open cooking fires are used. Technologies also exist to reduce methane emissions from landfills, meat processing plants and breweries at minimal or no cost.

Ek said the coalition will pursue the near-term goal of involving businesses in using those technologies. "To successfully realize that potential, we need the active engagement of businesses, and we need to build partnerships and exchange best practices on a global scale," she said.

Clinton explained further coalition plans to promote adoption of cleaner technologies. "We will start by holding a technology conference in Bangkok in July to showcase new technologies that can eliminate the need for these potent greenhouse gases in refrigeration and air conditioning. At the upcoming sustainability conference in Rio, we'll launch an initiative working with cities to reduce methane and other pollutants from their waste systems, and we will be working with oil and gas companies to take advantage of all the currently available zero-cost options."

The coalition needs best practices, and it needs the best ideas. Clinton said the coalition will sponsor a contest to maximize the input of ideas on raising awareness about short-lived pollutants and how rapidly their reduction can lower greenhouse gas emissions.

"We're looking for cartoon ideas, slogan ideas, app ideas. Whatever you come up with, we are going to be receptive," Clinton said.

While the United States works for aggressive action to reduce greenhouse gases at the international level, Clinton said, the Obama administration has taken a number of actions to reduce emissions and increase energy efficiency on the domestic level. In transportation, the administration is phasing in what will be one of the world's highest standards for energy efficiency of automobiles.

"We've made historic investments, more than $90 billion, in clean energy and are committed to being a world leader in this vital sector. And since just 2008, we've nearly doubled how much electricity we generate from renewable sources." Clinton said. "And we're making a big push to improve energy efficiency in commercial buildings and home appliances."

Clinton came to this discussion of greenhouse gas emissions and climate change barely 24 hours after she had visited the Arctic, one of the world regions where evidence of a warming planet is most evident. She visited Tromsø, Norway, 350 kilometers north of the Arctic Circle, sometimes called the capital of the Arctic.

She said the scenery was beautiful, but evidence of the warming climate was also apparent. "We toured the waters on a research vessel, listening to marine biologists and sea ice experts and others explain the changes that have come to the Arctic. The waters don't freeze, even in the dead of winter. The ice shelves that have crumbled no longer protect coastlines from erosion. Species are at risk."

The secretary of state said the scenery served as a reminder that humankind has a duty to protect this "fragile, marvelous planet," and the Climate and Clean Air Coalition is devoted to doing just that.

The Clean Air Coalition has recently established a presence on the Internet at www.UNEP.org/CCAC ( http://www.UNEP.org/CCAC ).

(This is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State.)