| | |  Editorials | Environmental | December 2008 
Mexico Pledges Greenhouse Gas Cuts
 Vanessa Gera - Associated Press
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| | Juan Rafael Elvira Quesada, Secretary of the Environment and Natural Resources, Mexico | |
Poznan, Poland – Mexico announced a plan Thursday to halve greenhouse gas emissions from 2002 levels by 2050, making it one of the few developing countries to set a specific reductions target.
Mexico's Environment Secretary Juan Rafael Elvira said the target would be met with clean and efficient technologies, such as wind and solar power. He said he hoped the move would challenge other countries to take strong action and help Mexico with investments needed to meet the goal.
Mexico's aim to cut 2002 levels by 50 percent by mid century, he said, is to spur "collective" global action on fighting climate change.
He and his deputy, Fernando Tudela, announced the goals at U.N. climate talks in Poznan, Poland, where some 190 countries are working on a new climate treaty to replace the Kyoto Protocol, which expires in 2012. The aim is to get a deal next December at U.N. talks in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Edward Helme, president of the Center for Clean Air Policy, an environmental group that has worked with the Mexican government in drawing up the plan, praised the step as ambitious.
"The Mexican government should be applauded for exerting leadership and announcing such a strong, national goal," Helme said.
The officials also announced a plan to set up a "cap and trade" system that would set emissions limits on certain sectors — such as cement and oil refining.
Companies that reduce their emissions below those limits could sell their unused allowances on the international carbon market. The Mexican officials said they hope to have the program operating by 2012.
"This is a very aggressive goal for our country, but we are confident we can achieve it with international assistance," Tudela said. He voiced hope for "similar action by other developing countries."
Environmentalists at the talks have strongly criticized some of the world's richest countries, saying they have done too little to battle global warming.
But many developing countries, including Brazil, China, South Africa, and now Mexico, have been winning praise for offering specific plans to fight climate change. |
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