U.S. not to accept legally-binding emission cuts now: Todd Stern

The U.S. has said it would not undertake legally binding commitment on emission cuts until it is done symmetrically by fast developing countries like India and China.

“It’s not so much that we’re calling on China or India to make legally binding commitments right now. What we’re saying is we will do legally binding commitments only if they are symmetrical, if the emerging market countries do that also,” Special U.S. Envoy on Climate Change, Todd Stern, told reporters at a news briefing, his first after the recent Cancun Climate Change Conference.

The U.S. position on China is that it needs to make significant reductions in its emissions, he said.

“But for China or other developing countries, at this stage those are going to be relative reductions. Those are going to be reductions against the so-called business-as-usual path that they would be on,” he noted.