28 March 2001

Excerpts: White House Briefing Comments on Kyoto Protocol

Following are excerpts from the March 28 White House press briefing, containing responses of White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer to questions concerning reported Bush administration plans to end U.S. support for the Kyoto Protocol on climate change. The United States signed the protocol in 1997.

Following is the White House transcript:

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary

March 28, 2001

QUESTION: Did you ever straighten out all the muddled answers on Kyoto?

MR. FLEISCHER: Ask a question, and I'll try to give you an answer.

Q: The question is, where do we stand on Kyoto? Have we pulled out? What is -- is there movement now to pull out and so forth?

MR. FLEISCHER: The treaty, as you know, was signed, but it was not ratified by the Senate. In fact, the Senate voted 95-0 against ratification of it. Also on that measure, whether it's enforced or not -- as you know, under the Kyoto agreement, 55 nations need to submit it, enforce it to their various governments. Only one nation in the world has done so. There are 54 more to go. So the treaty cannot even possibly even be in effect. So there's nothing to withdraw from because there is no treaty in effect.

The President has been unequivocal. He does not support the Kyoto treaty. It exempts the developing nations around the world, and it is not in the United States' economic best interest. The President has directed his Cabinet Secretaries to begin a review so we can, as a nation, address a serious problem, which is global warming. That Cabinet-level review is underway, and the President looks forward to receiving the results.

Q: Does he think it never should have been signed?

MR. FLEISCHER: I've not asked him that question. It was signed prior to him becoming President, so it's a moot question.

Q: Has he read the treaty?

MR. FLEISCHER: I'm not aware of anybody in government who reads every page of every treaty except for a very, very few people. But the President is well aware, of course, of what's in the treaty.

Q: Is it his intention to have the U.S. withdraw from Kyoto?

MR. FLEISCHER: That's what Helen just asked, and I said there's nothing to withdraw from. The treaty is not in effect. But he opposes the treaty. He's made that plain.

Q: But we have made a commitment. I mean, you said there's nothing to withdraw from. You make a certain commitment when you sign a treaty.

MR. FLEISCHER: No, the commitment on the treaty is dependent on ratification. As you know, the Senate voted 95-0 against ratifying it. It also is dependent on actions taken by the international community. When only one out of 55 nations required to put the treaty into effect has acted, it's a signal worldwide that others agree with the President's position on the treaty.

Q: Ari, in the closing days of the Clinton administration there was an effort to negotiate an understanding with European nations about some of the Kyoto protocols dealing with emissions, and those failed. It was a frustrating failure for the Clinton administration. Did this administration look upon that and say, well, if those negotiations, if Clinton failed, there's no way that we can make any progress; therefore, you're much more pessimistic about working anything out with Kyoto?

MR. FLEISCHER: I don't know about that time frame, Major. I know this has been the President's consistent position from the campaign forward. And the concern is that most of the world was exempt from the treaty and the treaty as it currently is written is not in the economic interests of the United States, as well.

Q: Why not?

MR. FLEISCHER: Because of the huge costs involved that are disproportionate to the benefits, particularly when most of the world is exempt.

Q: Well, would he favor making the rest of the world subject to the treaty or --

MR. FLEISCHER: You need to await the results of the Cabinet-level review that the President has directed. ....

Q: On Kyoto, Ari, was there any discussion, and what did the White House believe the wisdom was of approaching this by saying, we're going to throw this whole treaty out, we're going to start from scratch, as opposed to going in and discussing with our allies ways of changing the treaty to meet the President's concerns?

MR. FLEISCHER: Well, I think you should withhold until you are filled in on what the Cabinet-level review will show. The Cabinet-level review is going to be broad, it's going to look at what the President views as a serious problem, which is global warming. So until they complete their review I think it's premature to judge what will be in it.

Q: Why didn't the White House wait until the Cabinet-level review was done before deciding what to do on the treaty?

MR. FLEISCHER: Because the President has always opposed the treaty. It's a question of what can we do based on sound science and a balanced approach as a nation to take action against global warming. That's why the President opposed the Kyoto treaty and that's why he has directed the Cabinet-level review to take place.

Q: That doesn't explain why you couldn't have gone in and said, look, there are parts of this treaty -- obviously, the developing world is not included, and also we think it's too hard on us for economic growth, so let's figure out ways to change it. And can you give us some specifics on the economic cost to the U.S.? What is it particularly that the President is concerned about in terms of the economic cost?

MR. FLEISCHER: Again, I have addressed the President's concerns about the treaty. And as for solutions for global warming, once again, you have to wait for the review of the Cabinet-level review. But the President does believe that working with our friends and allies and through international processes, we can develop technologies, market-based incentives, and other innovative approaches that can combat global climate change.

Q: I don't understand. Why not work for change this treaty? That's what people were originally trying to do? Why not put this on the table and work with those countries --

MR. FLEISCHER: Because the President opposes this treaty in its present form. And I think until you see the results of the Cabinet-level review, it's premature to speculate about exactly what steps the administration will make. But, obviously, any time a treaty has to be submitted by 55 of the signatory nations in order for it to go in effect and only one nation has submitted it, it's an indication that other nations agree with the United States.

Q: Well, let's be clear. I mean, is this treaty from the United States' viewpoint, dead, or -- because he opposes it doesn't mean that you have abandoned it, necessarily -- has this treaty been abandoned by the United States?

MR. FLEISCHER: Given the fact that it was voted 95-0 against in the Senate, it's a clear sign that there is little support, if any, to --

Q: What nation ratified it?

MR. FLEISCHER: Romania submitted it for it to be in effect -- Romania did.

end transcript