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 Home > News & Policies > June 2005

For Immediate Release
June 30, 2005

Fact Sheet: President Bush Is Addressing Climate Change

FACT SHEET

President Bush is dedicated to climate change policies that grow economies, aid development, and improve the environment. The President promotes technological innovation 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.

  • We have an ambitious and realistic goal: 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.

  • We are making real and accelerated progress: The President's goal amounts to an annual 1.95-percent cut in emissions intensity. In 2003 alone, U.S. intensity declined by 2.3 percent. Preliminary figures for 2004 suggest even greater reductions in emissions intensity during a period of robust economic growth.

  • We are pursuing a balanced approach to overcome poverty with policies that protect the environment while promoting development and economic opportunity:
    • The President knows that overcoming extreme poverty goes hand-in-hand with improving the environment. Stagnant economies are one of the greatest environmental threats in our world, because people who lack food, shelter, and sanitation cannot be expected to preserve the environment at the expense of their own survival - and poor societies cannot afford to invest in cleaner, more efficient technologies.
    • The long-term answer to environmental challenges is the rapid, sustained economic progress of poor nations. And the best way to help nations develop, while limiting pollution and improving public health, is to promote technologies for generating energy that are clean, affordable, and secure.
    • Some have suggested that the best solution to environmental challenges and climate change is to oppose development and put the world on an energy diet. But at this moment, about two billion people have no access to any form of modern energy - and blocking that access would condemn them to permanent poverty, disease, high infant mortality, polluted water, and polluted air.
    • The President said that we are taking a better approach. We know that the surface of the Earth is warmer, and that an increase in greenhouse gases caused by humans is contributing to the problem. Though there have been past disagreements about the best way to address this issue, we are acting to help developing countries adopt new energy sources.

  • We are taking action: The President has launched a broad portfolio of domestic and international initiatives to develop and deploy new technologies through a broad range of programs, including:

    • Short Term - NOW Midterm - 2010-2020 Long Term
    Hybrid or Clean Diesel Vehicles → Hybrid/Clean Diesel Vehicles → Hydrogen*
    Clean Coal Efficiency → Clean Coal Gasification → FutureGen*
    Energy Efficiency Standards → Renewable/Efficiency Partnership* → Zero Energy Homes and Bulidings
    Renewable Fuel Standard → Cellulosic Biomass → Bio-Energy Systems
    Nuclear Plant Relicensing → Advanced Nuclear → GenIV Nuclear/Fusion*
    Enhanced Oil Recovery → Geological Sequestration*
    Biological Sequestration
    Methane to Markets*
    Federal Facility Management Plan
    Fuel Economy Standards
    Wind, Solar Tax Incentives
    Climate Leaders
    Climate VISION
    SmartWay Transportation

    *Denotes International Partnership

  • We are providing record funding for climate change programs: The Bush Administration will have spent over $20 billion by the end of 2005, more than any other nation. $5.5 billion is proposed for climate change activities in 2006. The President has also proposed $3.6 billion in tax incentives over 5 years to spur use of clean, renewable, and energy-efficient technologies. These Federal programs are only part of the effort, as they are also leveraging billions of dollars in private investments.

  • We are guided by the following principles at the G8 and beyond:
    • We have shared goals, and our areas of agreement are numerous.
    • Climate change is a serious long-term issue, requiring sustained action over many generations by both developed and developing countries. Developing innovative technologies that are cleaner and more efficient is the key to addressing our climate challenge.
    • The greatest progress will be assured by a cooperative effort that combines our strategies with the best strategies of other nations to improve economic and energy security, reduce harmful air pollution, and reduce greenhouse gases.
    • The President firmly believes that economic growth is essential to success. Only economic growth provides the resources for investment in the next generation of cleaner, more efficient technologies.
    • We oppose any policy that would achieve reductions by putting Americans out of work, or by simply shifting emissions from one state to another, or from the U.S. to another country. Like us, developing countries are unlikely to join in approaches that foreclose their own economic growth and development.

The President'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.

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