U.S. denies British rumors on Bush climate change

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A U.S. official on Sunday denied a British newspaper report that
President George W. Bush was preparing to announce a dramatic policy shift on global warming in his State of the Union speech this month.

The British newspaper The Observer reported on Sunday that senior Downing Street officials, who were not named, said Bush was preparing to issue a new climate change policy during his annual speech on January 23.

“While the administration does not detail the president’s speech before it is given, this rumor is not true,” a senior U.S. administration official said.

Bush and British Prime Minister
Tony Blair held private talks on climate change before Christmas and there was a sense that Bush would agree on a cap on emissions that would mean energy conservation and pollution curbs by industry and consumers in the United States, the newspaper said.

Reuters