Bush, Schroeder to Make Pledges on Climate Change, Official Says

Typography
German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and U.S. President George W. Bush were expected to make pledges on efficient energy use and combating air pollution at their meeting Wednesday in Germany, a government official said.

BERLIN — German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and U.S. President George W. Bush were expected to make pledges on efficient energy use and combating air pollution at their meeting Wednesday in Germany, a government official said.


A joint statement -- still being drafted as Bush and Schroeder met in the western city of Mainz -- also calls for promoting cheap and renewable energy sources in developing countries, the official told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.


Goals cited in the four-point draft plan are improving stability of energy supplies and keeping economic growth high, said the official.


It calls for increased international cooperation in climate research, promoting efficient use of energy, modernizing energy sources and says German, the United States and the rest of the world must "effectively tackle" air pollution and emissions of greenhouse gases, the official said.


Germany has a strong environmental movement and Schroeder's government has supported the Kyoto protocol, which pledges industrial countries to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.


!ADVERTISEMENT!

The Bush administration has refused to sign the accord, saying the United States can reduce emissions in other ways.


Source: Associated Press