Brussels, Belgium — The Bush administration's decision to reject an international treaty designed to combat global warming provoked a stunned and angry reaction Wednesday among America's allies in Europe and Japan. Many of them urged the United States to reconsider.
German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, who is due in Washington today for his first meeting with President Bush, will appeal on behalf of the 15 countries of the European Union that the United States embrace the treaty, which was negotiated in Kyoto, Japan, in 1997, German officials said.
"Japan will be dismayed and deeply disappointed" if the United States walks away from the treaty, said Japan's ambassador in charge of global environmental affairs, Kazuo Asakai. The treaty "is very serious and important," he said.
To many U.S. allies, the decision confirms a troubling willingness by the White House's new occupant to take the United States off on solo tacks, without consultations with trusted governments. Leaders in Japan and Western Europe see that tendency as well behind a recent U.S. decision to go slow on talks with North Korea.
White House officials reaffirmed today that for them the global warming agreement is dead. Bush will develop a new approach less onerous to the U.S. economy.
Many scientists have concluded that greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide trap heat and are raising global temperatures, a trend that could trigger ecological catastrophe. Programs to reduce the gas emissions would be very costly, due to need for new equipment at factories and long-term changes in energy use.
Administration officials said that a Cabinet-level task force is at work on a new proposal that would make greater use of new technology, market incentives and "other creative ways" to address global climate change.
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