Action on Climate Change, Energy and Sustainable Development

Presidential Action

Today, President Bush and the G-8 Leaders agreed on a far-reaching Plan of Action to speed the development and deployment of clean energy technologies to achieve the combined goals of addressing climate change, reducing harmful air pollution and improving energy security in the U.S. and throughout the world.

The G-8 will work globally to advance climate change policies that grow economies, aid development, and improve the environment.

The Challenge: Nearly two billion people lack access to any form of modern energy services. Providing affordable, reliable and secure energy is essential to end extreme poverty and build a better and cleaner world. Stagnant economies are one of the world's greatest environmental threats. Improved access to cleaner and more secure energy resources will also reduce the growth of greenhouse gas emissions associated with long-term climate change.

G-8 Response: Today, G-8 Partners agreed to a Plan of Action on Climate Change, Clean Energy and Sustainable Development, that will help:

• Transform the way we use energy by improving efficiencies in power generation, transportation, buildings and appliances;
• Power a cleaner future by promoting the use of nuclear power, clean coal technologies, clean diesel and methane, renewable energy, bioenergy, and more efficient power grids;
• Strengthen research and development of hydrogen-powered vehicles that emit only water, not fumes;
• Finance the transition to cleaner energy through a strengthened World Bank and national policies that support markets, remove barriers to direct investment, leverage private capital, and promote investment;
• Manage the impact of climate change through strong funding of climate change science, improved scientific and monitoring capabilities of poorer regions such as Africa, and full implementation of the 10-year plan developing the Global Earth Observation System of Systems; and
• Combat illegal logging by working with poor countries struggling to enforce their own forest management laws to prevent harm to ecosystems and land use changes that are a factor in climate change.

U.S. Actions: The United States is investing more than any other nation for climate change programs.

• Since 2001, the Bush Administration has spent over $20 billion on climate change activities, and proposes $5.5 billion more for 2006.
• In February 2002, President Bush committed to cut our nation's greenhouse gas intensity -- how much we emit per unit of economic activity -- by 18 percent through 2012, and the U.S. is on track to meeting that ambitious goal.
• In the last three years, the United States has launched a series of bilateral and multilateral initiatives to cooperate with both developing and industrialized countries in adopting new energy sources, from cleaner use of coal, to hydrogen vehicles, to solar and wind power, to the production of clean-burning methane, to less-polluting power plants.
• The Bush Administration's approach draws upon the best scientific research, harnesses the power of markets, fosters the creativity of entrepreneurs, and works with the developing world to meet shared aspirations for our people, our economy, and our environment.