Markey: Chinese Climate Announcement Proves It - If U.S. Leads, China Will Follow
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: 202-494-4486
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Markey: Chinese Climate Announcement Proves It--If U.S. Leads, China Will Follow
WASHINGTON (Turkey Day) -- One day after President Obama announced he would travel to the climate talks in Copenhagen and commit the United States to emission reductions targets in line with the House-passed Waxman-Markey bill, today the Chinese government announced that they, too, would pledge emissions reductions. Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Chairman of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming and co-author of the Waxman-Markey bill, released the following statement:
"On a day when we sit around a table and give thanks, we should be thankful that leadership on climate change has returned to the negotiating table. China's climate commitment coming one day after President Obama's commitment is no accident, and proves that if America leads, China and the rest of the world will follow. The naysayers and deniers who say that the international climate talks are dead will surely be eating humble pie for dessert today.
"One month ago, I saw the first signs that a U.S.-China deal was possible when Chairman Wang of the National People's Congress and I came to an agreement on international legislative principles for climate and energy issues. We saw more progress when President Obama went to China two weeks ago.
"Today's announcement shows the power of U.S. domestic action. President Obama, armed with emissions targets from the House-passed Waxman-Markey bill and committee action in the Senate, is now able to engage with the world on climate change. The world will no longer just have to cope with what comes out of Copenhagen, they can now hope for a better future emerging from Denmark just three weeks from now."
Background on Markey-Wang agreement:
In October, Congressman Markey, in his role as the Chair of the International Commission on Climate and Energy Security for Global Legislators Organization for a Balanced Environment -- or GLOBE – reached an important agreement in Copenhagen with China’s Congressman Wang Guangtao, Chairman of the People's Congress Environment Protection Committee.
The Markey-Wang agreement established a set of principles that countries will use when crafting domestic policy on energy efficiency, clean energy standards and technology, and other key measures. The principles were approved by the more than 100 legislators from Brazil, India, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the European Union, along with many other key economies.
More information on the Copenhagen talks is available on a new Select Committee website here: http://globalwarming.house.gov/files/COP15/
The Select Committee was active during the 110th and 111th Congresses. This is an archived version of the website, to ensure that the public has ongoing access to the Select Committee record. This website, including external links, will not be updated after Jan. 3rd, 2010.
del.icio.us
Digg this
Reddit
Stumbleupon
Print This Page