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  • Feb 18th, 2005
  • Comments Off on US to spend $5.8 billion on climate change in 2005
The United States, which refused to participate in a United Nations-backed global plan to slow global warming, said on Tuesday it will spend nearly $5.8 billion in 2005 on research and programs addressing climate change. The Kyoto protocol was signed by 141 nations and goes into force on Wednesday to limit carbon dioxide and other heat- trapping gases blamed for a rise in global temperatures.

The Bush administration favours a voluntary approach and in 2001 rejected US participation in the treaty as being too costly. The United States is the world's biggest polluter. The US State Department said the White House is committed to cutting greenhouse gas emissions.

"While the United States and countries with binding emissions restrictions under the Kyoto Protocol are taking different paths, our destination is the same, and compatible with other efforts," said Richard Boucher, a spokesman for the State Department.

In 2005, the US government will spend nearly $5 billion on research into climate change and potential technology to fight it, Boucher said.

Almost $700 million will be available in tax incentives for renewable energy and energy efficiency programs and $200 million will be spent on foreign aid programs that contribute to climate change benefits, he said.

The Bush administration has previously said it wants to reduce the greenhouse gas "intensity" of the US economy - the tonnage of greenhouse gas emissions for every million dollars of economic output - by 18 percent by 2012.

On Wednesday, the Senate Environment Committee is scheduled to finish drafting a bill to limit US utility air pollution. Republican members of the panel, along with the White House, oppose any attempt to limit carbon dioxide emissions, which may leave the legislation deadlocked in committee.

Copyright Reuters, 2005


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