Global climate change - the United Nations FCCC, {open_quotes}Berlin Mandate{close_quotes}, COP-2, and electric utilities
- Arizona Public Service Co., Phoenix, AZ (United States)
Over the past 100 years, there has been a steady increase in man-made emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs, such as carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and most halogenated substances) due to human activities including combustion of fossil fuels and deforestation. Scientific studies suggest that these emissions are contributing to increases in atmospheric concentrations of GHGs which in turn, cause an enhanced greenhouse effect by trapping more of the sun`s energy leading to global climate change. Recently, a consensus position has emerged among the scientific community that man-made GHG emissions appear to be contributing to global climate change. Based on that finding, United States representative, Under Secretary of State Tim Wirth stated at the July 1996 meeting of the {open_quotes}Conference of Parties{close_quotes} (COP) of the FCCC, that global voluntary efforts to meet the GHG emission reduction goal have failed He called for the COP to expedite ongoing international negotiations toward establishing (in 1997) medium-term, realistic, legally-binding GHG emission targets and implementation schedules for each country. Setting a legally binding GHG emission target would have significant impacts on the nation, and especially on the electric utility sector. This article provides a general overview of the United States and international efforts toward implementing the FCCC and their potential impacts on the utility industry. A future article is anticipated to address an update on the international negotiations and their potential impacts on other sectors of the U.S. economy, and the rapidly growing GHG emissions from developing countries such as China and India.
- OSTI ID:
- 617838
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-970145-; TRN: 98:002057-0007
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 2. joint conference on acid rain and electric utilities, Scottsdale, AZ (United States), 20-22 Jan 1997; Other Information: PBD: 1997; Related Information: Is Part Of Acid rain & electric utilities II; PB: 1047 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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