European Welcomes New US Climate Stance

European top environmental officials, after meeting with the Obama administration, offer to work closely together with the U.S. on climate change matters

Top environmental officials from Europe say they are encouraged by the United States’ new stance on climate change.

After spending years encouraging the Bush administration to take action, three European environmental ministers said Tuesday that the U.S. appears ready to work with them on a new international agreement to curb the emissions blamed for global warming.

The officials were in Washington to meet with members of the Obama administration and Congress in preparation for negotiations on a new global treaty, which are scheduled for Copenhagen, Denmark in December. The Europeans also offered to work closely with the U.S. on climate change matters.

“We’ve been waiting for eight years,” said Martin Bursik, the Czech Republic’s environment minister at a briefing Tuesday.

Andreas Carlgren, Sweden’s environment minister, said Washington has definitely warmed to dealing with climate change.

“To come to Washington in these days is to really experience climate change,” Carlgren said. “There is a completely different mental climate here today.”

The last global accord, the Kyoto Protocol, is set to expire in 2012. The U.S. did not enter into that agreement, citing its impact on the economy and the lack of participation by developing countries such as India and China.

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