U.S. Copenhagen envoy downplays Senate climate outline's effect on summit

State Department climate envoy Todd Stern on Friday praised the legislative outline unveiled by three senators this week but downplayed its effect on the Copenhagen international climate talks.

Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.), Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.)  on Thursday released a broadly worded outline of a compromise climate and energy bill – one they hope can form the basis for negotiations that generate 60 Senate votes.

“I don’t think it so much changes anything that we’re doing here per se. I just think that it’s another really strong step forward in the Senate’s effort to move legislation,” Stern said at a wide-ranging briefing in Copenhagen on the state of the ongoing talks.

“I think Senators Kerry and Boxer started the process in the Senate with a very strong bill. I think that the alliance between Senators Kerry, Graham and Lieberman – all of whom I know and have great respect for – I think is a terrific sign,” Stern added. “It’s a bipartisan sign, and exactly the kind of thing that I think we need to get legislation done in the Congress and passed and sent to the President for his signature as soon as possible.”