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Stuart E. Eizenstat Under Secretary for Economic, Business, and Agricultural Affairs U.S. Department of State Remarks on climate change ministerial Tokyo, Japan, September 18, 1998

Tokyo Ministerial on Climate Change

The informal ministerial on climate change held in Tokyo on September 17-18 proved very positive, and the United States thanked our Japanese hosts for putting together the meeting. Among the twenty-plus countries invited to attend, there was a strong spirit of cooperation and shared responsibility to continue the progress on climate change begun in Kyoto last December. There was interest in developing a work plan with timetables on the flexibility mechanisms -- emissions trading, Joint Implementation, and the Clean Development Mechanism.

An active discussion took place concerning the domestic actions being taken by individual nations. The United States set forth in detail its ongoing and planned efforts, which include existing programs for energy labeling on major appliances, solar energy promotion, and model energy conservation programs in the federal government itself; $1 billion in climate-related assistance to some 44 developing countries over the next five years; as well as President Clinton's $6.3 billion proposal for new, climate-related tax incentives and R&D measures. Both developing and developed countries -- from China and Indonesia to Japan and the United Kingdom -- made clear their concern about climate change and described national policies and programs that help address climate change.

Discussion of the Clean Development Mechanism, or CDM, which shows real promise as a bridge between the developed and developing countries in their efforts to address the global problem of climate change, was especially productive. Attendees recognized that the projects to be covered by the CDM can create emissions reductions with environmental benefits for us all. The ministers and their representatives generally acknowledged CDM's potential to promote investments in clean growth in developing countries and to help developed countries meet their Kyoto goals, cost-effectively, through project-generated credits against their targets.

The ministerial sparked a frank and lively discussion of emissions trading. It reflected an uncommonly clear sense of the balance needed between ensuring the trading system's integrity through strong rules, and maximizing its ability to generate emissions reductions worldwide by making it simple and transparent and allowing its full and flexible use. Trading is a complex issue and countries have different views on precisely how it should work. The ministerial reflected this, yet also made clear that trading is greatly valued as an innovative and powerful approach to addressing climate change cost-effectively. On that basis, the group was quite positive on balance about the prospects for progress on trading at the Fourth Conference of the Parties -- COP4 -- coming up in November in Buenos Aires. Based upon improved understanding with the EU, we hope that emissions trading will not be a divisive issue at COP4.

The ministerial gave the twenty-plus attendees an opportunity to consider what can be achieved at COP4 and beyond, but no formal conclusions were reached. A very business-like attitude was taken by the ministers and their representatives, with a strong focus in discussions on identifying common interests and feasible results for COP4. In our meetings, the United States made clear that developing countries must be part of the solution. Meaningful participation by key developing countries is central, with their degree of commitment dependent upon their emissions level and state of development.

The United States sees COP4 as an opportunity to continue momentum on both the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the historic Kyoto Protocol. There seems to be a solid basis for developing an approach to completing the elaboration of the flexibility mechanisms -- emissions trading and the Clean Development Mechanism.

Our goal is to engage in frank discussions on the areas of shared interest, to develop a consensus on next steps in key areas, and to avoid unproductive arguments on issues that cannot be resolved at COP4. The United States hopes that at COP4, Parties will signal clearly their commitment to move forward, and their understanding of the need for greater certainty among our people and private firms about how the Kyoto mechanisms and processes will work.

The United States will encourage all countries -- both developed and developing -- to reiterate at COP4 the need for concerted, cooperative action to address this global problem. A concrete step in this regard would be for Parties to renew their commitment to taking actions in the context of the Framework Convention, which recognizes both the "common, but differentiated responsibilities" of developed and developing countries and the need for a global effort.

The United States would like to see greater evidence at COP4 of developed and developing countries working together on climate change. We are encouraging discussion of a broad array of developing country participation activities and acknowledgment of the specific contributions to limiting greenhouse gases many have made. We may also be able to build confidence and shared perspectives by engaging at COP4 with the private sector and the NGOs. These groups have many skills and insights to contribute, and can help us move forward on issues that are technically complex and politically sensitive.

The key to success will be to establish COP4 as a stepping stone to future efforts on climate change, one which is both credible and effective.

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