The Doha deal included vague language on how rich countries would scale up climate aid to $100 billion annually by 2020 — a goal agreed to three years ago. With budgets under stress from financial turmoil, developed countries resisted calls by developing countries to make firm commitments.
"I think in general donor countries with some exceptions were not in a position to put hard numbers on table for all sorts of reasons among them fiscal challenges that we are facing in the U.S. and Europe is facing," said Stern, the U.S. climate envoy.
In news conferences in Doha, the U.S. delegates stressed what the administration has already done: increased fuel efficiency standards for cars and trucks, worked to boost energy efficiency in buildings and invested in green energy.
Wael Hmaidan, a Lebanese activist and director of the Climate Action Network, said he was disappointed that the U.S. didn't offer more in Doha, especially on financing for poor countries.
"We were hoping there would be some kind of movement after the election," he said. "We knew there wouldn't be any major change but we hoped there would be more flexibility and room and this was not demonstrated."
Some may have overestimated how quickly Obama's comments on climate change would translate into action, said Jake Schmidt, of the Natural Resource Defense Council.
"Things take time to settle in the U.S.," he said. "But I think there's a growing sense that climate change is real, extreme weather is happening in the U.S. It shows up in all the polls."
Schmidt said the administration could achieve further emissions cuts with new standards on existing coal-fired power plants.
____
AP Environment Writer Michael Casey contributed to this report.
___
Ritter can be reached at www.twitter.com/karl_ritter and Casey can be reached at www.twitter.com/mcasey1
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Reader Comments (