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Global Climate Change Digest
A Guide to Information on Greenhouse Gases and Ozone Depletion
Published July 1988 through June 1999

FROM VOLUME 5, NUMBER 8, AUGUST 1992

NEWS...
CLIMATE TREATY

Item #d92aug119

The framework convention on climate signed at the Earth Summit lacked firm timetables for reducing emissions of greenhouse gases, mainly because of the influence of the United States in prior negotiations (GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE DIGEST, news, June 1992). At Rio, the European Community reaffirmed its commitment to stabilize CO₂ emissions at 1990 levels by the year 2000, and pressed for rapid development of protocols to the framework convention that would commit participants to reduction targets. Both moves were discouraged by the United States.

During discussions of Agenda 21 at Rio, Saudi Arabia and other oil-producing states fought to weaken the energy section that is intended to reduce CO₂ emissions. Unlike the climate convention, Agenda 21 is not legally binding, but this response from the oil states may portend increased opposition to future attempts to limit CO₂ emissions. (See New Scientist, p. 7, June 20, 1992; Energy, Econ. & Clim. Change, pp. 2-4, June.

Several articles in Periodicals/Earth Summit (this issue) discuss the climate treaty, particularly those by Leggett and Clery in the New Scientist series.