Is the presidents climate pledge out of reach?

摘要

In December 2015, representatives of the world's nations will convene in Paris to negotiate a climate change agreement to replace the 1997 Kyoto Protocol. In contrast to limited U.S. involvement in the development and implementation of the Kyoto agreement, the United States is expected to play a pivotal role in the Paris talks. The shift can be attributed to the ambitious commitments President Obama has made to controlling U.S. emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs). The president is clearly trying to place the country in the leadership role in the international effort to cap global warming at 2 degrees Celsius (2℃). Other countries are paying close attention to developments in the United States. But, as discussed in a recent hearing of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW), there are uncertainties about the achievability of the president's goals and how those goals will influence other nations.