Consensus on climate deal unlikely

“It is true that developed countries put most of the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. But we have to figure out how to help each other as we are part of the globe,” Steven Chu, US Secretary of Energy, said here on Friday.

Chu, a Nobel Laureate physicist made it clear that the USA is unlikely to yield to the reduction commitment demands as its own emission cut off treaty had not yet finished the political process.

The American Clean Energy and Securities Act — Waxman-Markey bill — was passed by the House of Representatives in June. The bill is pending in Senate, because of which the Obama administration, as of now, is not expected to make any commitments.

Without any assurance from the world’s largest polluter, a consensus setting the post Kyoto roadmap seems unlikely in Copenhagen. Many European countries, however, are trying to avoid the crisis.

“Everyone claims Copenhagen is in danger. If it fails it will be a disaster that would trigger off a blame game,” Jean Louis Borloo, French Minister on Ecology, Energy and Sustainable Development said.

Borloo is in the capital to deliver a letter from French President Nikolas Sarkozy to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the Copenhagen summit.

Visiting Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and his Swedish counterpart Frederik Reinfeldt also focussed on climate change negotiations during their official tours to convince India on taking actions.