US will announce climate targets before Copenhagen

US Climate Change Targets

Washington will release targets for cutting greenhouse gas emissions before the UN climate summit in Copenhagen next month, in the hope that it will inspire the talks to be more than just a wide reaching political statement and actually achieve a comprehensive global climate change deal.

This is particularly significant as the lack of a US target has widely been considered the single largest obstacle to an agreement in Copenhagen. The target is expected to fall in line with figures contained in legislation before the Senate - a reduction of about 17-20 percent from 2005 levels by 2020.

Obama came to power off the back of campaign that promised to cut carbon, claiming that under his leadership the US would become global leader on climate change. However delays in putting legislation to curb greenhouse gas emissions through Congress has restricted Obama's impact on environmental policies.

Since 1990 US emissions have risen 15 percent

Take cap-and-trade for example, The House of Representatives passed a bill in June and the progress of a similar bill through the Senate is not likely before March at the earliest.

Since the Kyoto protocol of 1990 US emissions have actually risen by 15 percent, and the US figures to be announced before Copenhagen are only expected to amount to cuts of just a few percent. Much lower than the EU's pledge of a 20 percent cut over the same period, or a 30 percent cut if there is a global deal; and much less than the 25-40 percent figure that developing countries are demanding.

But there is constant progress being made in America's green sector, and just yesterday NGP&E reported on how renewables are helping to drag traditional sectors out of recession in America's industrial heartland.

And officials from EDP and EDP Renewables, the world's second largest generator of wind energy in terms of market capitalization and also the third largest wind energy producer in the US, have targeted to devote approximately $4 billion to building new wind farms in the United States through 2012.

Renewable energy development is spreading across the country

The project will build on the record amount of new capacity the company has already installed and has under construction in 2009, totaling 800 megawatts (MW) worth more than $1.5 billion of investment.

Also, even more encouraging for the US is the news that renewable energy development is spreading across the country, according to a new state-by-state analysis by the NREL.

Renewable resources supplied 8.5 percent of the total electricity generation in 2007, and hydroelectric generation continues to represent the largest portion at 70 percent. By 2007, 24 of the 50 states were generating at least one gigawatt of renewable electricity from non-hydro sources, according to the 2009 NREL State of the States report.

Obama may not attend Copenhagen summit

But Barack Obama is still yet to confirm whether he will be attending next month's Copenhagen summit. His presence will be vitally important, not just for America to prove its commitment to climate change, but also for the developing world to made aware that the West really is committed to working alongside them on climate issues.

Despite doubts being raised over America's climate change figures, the US have many things to be proud of when it comes to its energy policies and the efforts being made by states across the country.

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