US Emissions Will Still be 25 per Cent over UN Benchmark

Even if the US implements the proposed measures outline by George W. Bush, it will still be nearly a quarter over a key UN benchmark by 2025, the International Energy Agency has conceded.

1990 is a closely watched — and politically sensitive benchmark for measuring the commitment for tackling global warming. “With current policies, the greenhouse-gas emissions of the US will increase by 18 percent between 2005 and 2025,” said IEA chief economist Fathi Birol. “If you compare this with 1990 levels, by 2025 there will be plus 38 percent.”

He added: “If the (newly announced) policies and measures — energy efficency, renewables, all the policies — are implemented, you can take off about 15 percent from this. So it means an increase of about 23 percent between 1990 and 2025, but only if the policies are implemented and respected.”

And 2025 is the year that Bush said they would be stabilized… Oh dear..