January 24, 2001 The US government is in transition. But why
should the rest of the world suffer? The US wants to delay the
sequel to the failed November 2000 climate meet until the new
Bush administration gets its act together. Along with Japan,
Canada, New Zealand and Australia, the country has formally
requested that the conference of parties to the un Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to be held in July 2001
instead of May, so that the Bush administration has time to
prepare. Key US officials, including secretary of state Colin
Powell, have said that the US will not be ready for the
negotiations by May, because replacements for the outgoing
climate negotiators are still to be announced. And why should
the entire world have to wait for the US to get its delegates in
place and for those delegates to prepare for the meeting?
Especially when any further delay at this crucial juncture
jeopardises chances of the convention’s Kyoto Protocol coming
into force? When every small delay in dealing with