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Obama: Cutting carbon emissions is ‘good for our economies’
President Obama said Wednesday that policies to curb carbon emissions bring economic benefits but acknowledged that crafting an international deal that imposes commitments on China and India will be a “tough slog.”
Obama, at a press conference with Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard, touted U.S. policies including increased auto efficiency standards and green energy research investments.
“I think that’s good for the world. I actually think, over the long term, it’s good for our economies as well, because it’s my strong belief that industries, utilities, individual consumers — we’re all going to have to adapt how we use energy and how we think about carbon,” Obama added, according to a White House transcript.
But Obama faces a tough road on climate policy.
Domestically, cap-and-trade legislation collapsed on Capitol Hill last year, and prospects for a binding international deal on emissions limits have faded in recent years.
The next big United Nations climate conference, which begins in Durban, South Africa, in late November, is not expected to yield a binding agreement, but negotiators are hoping for more incremental progress on emissions measures.
Obama said that he and Gillard agree that “advanced economies can’t do this alone” and that the U.S. will “insist” that major emitters including China and India face commitments in international agreements.
“So part of our insistence when we are in multilateral forum — and I will continue to insist on this when we go to Durban — is that if we are taking a series of steps, then it’s important that emerging economies like China and India are also part of the bargain,” Obama said.
“That doesn’t mean that they have to do exactly what we do. We understand that in terms of per capita carbon emissions, they’ve got a long way to go before they catch up to us. But it does mean that they’ve got to take seriously their responsibilities as well,” he said.
Obama — in his longest remarks on global warming in quite some time — acknowledged that crafting such an agreement will be a “tough slog” when many countries are struggling economically, but said there are long-term benefits.
Obama noted Australia, which is moving ahead with a carbon pricing and trading system, is pursuing a “bold strategy” and also affirmed his belief in the threat of climate change.
“I share the view of your prime minister and most scientists in the world that climate change is a real problem and that human activity is contributing to it, and that we all have a responsibility to find ways to reduce our carbon emissions,” Obama said.
