No Sign of US Carbon Trading Consensus - Watson
Date: 30-Aug-07
Country: AUSTRIA
"It's under active consideration in our Congress," Harlan
Watson told a news conference during a 158-nation meeting of
government experts in Vienna, when asked about the prospects for
a national market linking up initiatives by some US states.
"We are very far from consensus on a national programme," he
added. "It's certainly going to be very difficult to reach a
consensus. I don't want to make a judgment about what Congress
might do."
He also said that the United States had no plans to join in
any global market for trading emissions of greenhouse gases as
part of a fight against climate change.
"Right now, we do not see our participation in a global
carbon market. It's unclear when and where and if there's going
to a global carbon market," he said.
He noted the European Union emissions trading scheme and
plans for trading in nations such as Australia and Canada.
"You are seeing difference among these schemes. So knitting
these together in a global carbon market is going to take some
time," he said.