Washington: Noting that greenhouse gas emissions impose global risks, the Obama Administration believes that developing countries such as China and India are responsible for a growing proportion of emissions because of their heavy reliance on carbon intensive fuels, such as coal.
"Greenhouse gas emissions impose global risks. As a
result, just as US efforts to reduce emissions benefit other
countries, actions that other countries take to mitigate
emissions benefit the United States," said the Obama
Administration in its 'The Economic Report of the President',
to the Congress.
Given the global nature of the problem and the
declining US share of greenhouse gas emissions, US action
alone to reduce those emissions are insufficient to mitigate
the most serious risks from climate change, it noted.
"Developing countries such as China and India are
responsible for a growing proportion of emissions because of
their heavy reliance on carbon intensive fuels, such as coal,"
the report said.
In 1992, China's carbon dioxide emissions from fossil
fuel combustion were half those of the United States and
represented 12 percent of global emissions.
By 2008, China's carbon dioxide emissions represented
22 per cent of global emissions from fossil fuels, exceeding
the US share of 19 per cent and the European share of 15 per
cent, it said.
PTI
First Published: Friday, February 12, 2010, 15:31