Heroes and Villains

Power Economics
April, 2003
By Margo Thorning

(PDF)

The US has been cast in the role of villain for their rejection of Kyoto on economic grounds by the rest of the world. But are these fears completely justified and does Europe need to rethink its position?

On both sides of the Atlantic, the world’s two largest economies continue to grapple with concerns about the potential impact of climate change on the environment. This concern is spurring large outlays of public and private resources by both the EU and the US in order to study climate science and discover new and better ways to produce, consume, and conserve energy.

While the EU and US share common goals of economic growth, sustainable energy supply and environmental health, they do not share a common approach to address climate change, differing policies have resulted in misunderstandings and friction between longtime allies at a time when close co-operation is essential to address threats to global prosperity and security. So why have they chosen different strategies to address climate change?

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