Britain Denies Calling In US Favors On Climate Change

Global Call to action against Poverty protestors wearing masks of G8 leaders us President George Bush (L) and British Prime Minister Tony Blair (R) stand at Edinburgh airport, 04 July 2005. Protests are happening all over Edinburghas G8 ministers begin gathering at Gleneagles. AFP photo by Carl De Souza

London (AFP) Jul 04, 2005
The government of British Prime Minister Tony Blair on Monday refuted suggestions that it was calling for US support on fighting global warming in exchange for its support for the US-led war in Iraq.

"The prime minister has said in several interviews our support for America is not based on 'you get a support on this and you give that in return'," a spokeswoman for Blair told reporters during a briefing.

"It is not a quid pro quo like that," the spokeswoman added ahead of Group of Eight (G8) summit talks on fighting climate change and poverty in Africa that begin in Scotland on Wednesday.

US President George W. Bush said in a British television interview to be broadcast Monday that global warming was "a significant, long-term issue that we've got to deal with" but refused any deal that would look "like Kyoto."

With the exception of the United States, all the G8 countries have ratified the 1997 Kyoto Protocol targeting the issue of reducing greenhouse gases said to be responsible for global warming.

A senior government source told The Sunday Times that Britain hoped Bush would sign up to a broader statement acknowledging that climate change is a reality and calling for efforts to solve the problem through new technologies.

"We think Bush will basically swallow it out of his friendship with Tony Blair," the source said, referring to a relationship which has been bolstered by Blair's decision to send troops in support of the US-led war in Iraq.

The G8 is composed of the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Canada and Russia.

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ROUND TABLES

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