27 January 2007
Tony Blair said today that the world could be on the verge of a major breakthrough on long-term climate change goals.
In a keynote address to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, the prime minister said that a "quantum shift" in the attitude of the US combined with the German presidency of the European Union presents an opportunity to agree the principles of a post-2012 agreement.
He promised to work with President Bush and the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, towards a more "radical" and "comprehensive" successor to the Kyoto protocol during his final months in office.
Mr Blair said: "I believe we are potentially on the verge of a breakthrough."
He praised Chancellor Merkel's focus on climate change during her EU presidency and India and China's engagement with the G8.
Turning to the United States, he said: "The mood in the US is in the process of a quantum shift.
"The president's State of the Union address built on his 'addicted to oil' speech last year and set the first US targets for a reduction in petrol consumption.
"The German presidency gives us an opportunity to agree at least the principles of a new binding international agreement to come into effect when Kyoto expires in 2012 but one which is more radical than Kyoto and more comprehensive.
"More comprehensive because it includes America, China and India.
"It is a prize of tantalising significance and I think it is possible."
The prime minster's official spokesman said Mr Blair was not trying to secure the detail but simply the framework of a post-Kyoto agreement at the next G8 summit in June.
But he would insist that it must include goals on the stabilisation of emissions, a global cap and trade scheme and increased investment in clean technology.
Mr Blair will also talk today about trade and Africa, on which he held talks with foreign leaders, Microsoft chairman Bill Gates and U2 singer Bono last night.
Mr Blair used a round-table discussion to warn that failure to make progress on stalled world trade talks would be catastrophic for international commerce and Africa.
Last night he also urged the world's richest countries to live up to the promises they made on Africa at the 2005 G8 summit in Gleneagles.
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/print/0,,329698584-119093,00.html
