EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson claimed her agency's endangerment finding for CO2 emissions was not tied to the start of the Copenhagen climate talks, Greenwire reported. Jackson, who was giving the U.S. keynote address in Copenhagen, said that although "I'm glad we were able to complete the finding and make that statement just before" Copenhagen began, "that wasn't our impetus." She added: "We are finally leading the world for us to have a united solution."
U.N. climate head Yvo de Boer praised the finding as making "it easier for the president of the United States to commit to something" at the talks. Both de Boer and Jackson said the move could prod Congress to pass a climate bill to avoid EPA regulation. The Washington Post reported that Jackson told attendees she was "proud" of the finding, which meant "no one can say we are a nation" with a "climate denier" position.
On the issue of GHG-related funding for developing nations, U.S. negotiator Todd Stern said that while many third world nations would qualify, "I don't envision public funds, certainly not from the U.S., going to China," the Wall Street Journal reported today. "There is no way to solve this problem by giving developing countries a pass. Virtually all of the growth in emissions going forward ... will be coming from developing countries," and he said about 50 percent would come from China alone.
China had led the call for massive funding from developed nations. The Washington Post cited China's climate change ambassador, Yu Qingtai, telling the U.S. to reexamine its negotiating position. He told reporters: "What they should do is some deep soul-searching."
Related stories also appeared in Los Angeles Times (U.S. sends), New York Times (E.U.), New York Times (U.S. negotiator), New York Times (Contrarians), Dow Jones Newswires, Politico, and Reuters.
