DW-World.de
Deutsche Welle

Germany's Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier will reportedly travel to California in August to discuss a trans-Atlantic emissions trading scheme with Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. The hope is to have agreements in place by 2012, according to a strategy paper from Germany's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"Europe must together with the US make progress on the goal of having a meaningful climate policy," according to the policy paper quoted in the Financial Times Deutschland newspaper Thursday.

The paper suggests that unless the EU and US work together at reducing emissions, China and India won't be convinced of the need for climate protection.

 

US involvement seen as crucial

 

Bildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift:  Schwarzenegger's star power

The US is currently the world's biggest polluter. Washington has been reluctant to sign on to international environmental agreements due to concerns that it will hurt competitiveness.

 

At the recent Group of Eight Summit, German Chancellor Angela Merkel got the US to agree to halve greenhouse gases by 2050. But critics called the G8 agreement "weak," saying it failed to commit to serious reduction targets.

US President George W. Bush has said he wants to work with other countries on "a long-term global goal" for reducing greenhouse gases. Merkel has insisted that any agreement be within a United Nations framework, a condition Bush warmed to at the summit.

US has regional trading systems

Bildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift:  Coal plants remain big polluters

The US doesn't have any organized emissions trading systems. In recent years, plans for two regional systems have emerged.

 

Nine states in the Northeast, including New York and New Jersey will set caps and trade carbon dioxide emissions starting in 2009.

California, the most populous US state, is leading the Western Region Climate Action Initiative. It would create a carbon trading market whereby polluters can buy carbon credits from greener companies.

 

Several US states have expressed interest in working with the EU.

EU scheme has had problems

 

Bildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift:  China needs to be convinced to reduce pollution

Two years ago the EU adopted the world's largest multi-national greenhouse gas emissions trading scheme. Manufacturers buy and sell pollution credits depending on the level of emissions their company produces.

The scheme has only been partially successful, with governments accused of being too lax in providing credits. Germany reportedly gave carbon pollution permits that exceeded the amount of pollution created in 2006.

Despite ongoing problems with the system, environmental experts feel the system will help the EU meet its commitments. Germany wants to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent by 2020, compared with 1990 levels.