Technology is key on global warming: Bush adviser

BEIJING (Reuters) – The United States on Tuesday staked out its position ahead of a climate change summit next month by endorsing new technologies, paid for by rapid economic growth, as the way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The United States opposes mandatory economy-wide caps to cut emissions, saying this would crimp growth, but President George W. Bush has invited leading countries to Washington on September 27-28 to work on a long-term goal plan to tackle global warming.


“The emerging consensus is that the solution to climate change is the advancement of technology,” James Connaughton, Bush’s senior environmental adviser, told reporters.

“And there is also consensus that you need growing economies to pay for that technology. These are not a trade-off: if you don’t have a growing economy, you don’t have the resources to pay for the new technologies,” he added.

Reuters