Brownback Remarks

Remarks of U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback - KS
April 18, 2001

Thank you so much for coming all this way to talk about a very important issue - equity in the global climate change debate. I understand that there are approximately 40 countries represented here - which is very impressive, and it provides me with a great opportunity to share with you some exciting new ideas about partnering with you as possible first steps toward reducing the global warming problem.

Equity in Climate Change

The topic of equity in the global climate change debate -- is a very difficult one. On the one hand, many of the developing countries are struggling with much more basic and important issues - like the well-being of your people, and anything that could contribute cost and burden to these countries development would be vigorously opposed - and rightfully so.

On the other hand, it does the world - and the environment, no good if we merely create a patchwork treaty to "punish" the industrial world while the market shifts its pollution from our shores to yours. If we are truly concerned about GLOBAL climate change, we can not have a system whereby much of the globe is exempt from emissions reductions.

I'm not here today to offer any dramatic answer to this problem - you all know far too well the complexities involved - but I do think there are areas we can find common ground. It is my profound hope that in the attempt to deal with the big and controversial issues, as we must, that we do not overlook real opportunities for action that can help address this global problem.

Addressing Recent Events:

I'm sure you are all familiar with the recent statements made by our new President regarding the Kyoto Protocol. While it was rather shocking to a number of people - particularly in the international community, the Administration's view that the Kyoto Treaty process was not making progress and would unduly harm the U.S. economy is a serious concern. As you know, one of the main concerns the U.S. had about the current treaty was that it did not include developing countries in the hard target reductions. That is why a conference like this is so important - because we must come together to find a way around this difficult issue.

I come from the same political party as our new President. I understand and share the concerns he has about the Kyoto Treaty. It is uncertain at this point, how or what form the global negotiations will take on this topic, but I do believe the U.S. will engage and will take steps to address climate change - even if it is in a form other than the Kyoto Treaty.

The new Administration has not attacked the science or seriousness of the global warming issue - as some in our party would like. While they have expressed concerns that the science is "incomplete" President Bush noted that

"We will continue to fully examine global climate change issues - including the science, technologies, market-based systems and innovative options for addressing concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. I am very optimistic that with the proper focus and working with our friends and allies, we will be able to develop technologies, market incentives and other creative ways to address global climate change."

While this does not go as far as many would like - I think it is important that the Administration is looking for ways to address climate change and is open to suggestion. I am working with the Administration to encourage a broader use of agricultural sinks - or carbon sequestration, the process where plants and trees convert carbon dioxide into carbon and store it in the soil and trees. We are learning more and more about just how interconnected nature is. Our soil and agriculture scientists have found that there is much we can do through relatively simple conservation which will give us more productive soil, cleaner water while also reducing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

I know that our European friends have been very skeptical about this promising new technology. Some have even called it a "loop-hole" for getting out of hard target reductions. But I hope to convey to you today - a more promising view of this first step to address climate change. I do so not only in support of my country's pursuit of this concept - but to encourage you all to take these ideas home to your countries and examine the many benefits carbon sequestration could bring to your lands and waters.

It makes no sense to me that we would remain so focused on what we disagree on - to the exclusion of what we can agree will help solve this problem. Therefore, I will be pushing our Congress and our Administration to aggressively ramp up our investment in the area of carbon sequestration and bio-based fuels and products. Initially, I will be introducing legislation next week which provide financial incentives to companies and farmers who invest in carbon storing practices on lands both in the U.S. and around the world.

This offers a great opportunity for us to partner with many of your countries to restore degraded lands and deforested areas through a market approach - rather than command and control. I realize this is a very sensitive subject for many countries who are concerned about sovereignty issues and who may feel it is condescending for the U.S. to tell your nation to "save the rainforest" while you are struggling to feed your people.

My approach is far different from that. My legislation is completely voluntary and requires the willing and active participation of host countries to partner with U.S. companies and investors for to expand carbon conservation activities. If these investors meet stringent environmental criteria, they will qualify for a U.S. tax credit which will encourage more investment in re-forestation activities and conservation management of lands for maximum carbon gain. This will not involve U.S. companies or investors buying up land in your countries - rather, it will require a partnership with one of your local non government organizations to work with local people in the creation of a carbon preservation project. This will pool investment and create a market for conservation - like the one that is beginning to emerge in the U.S.

So - what's in it for the U.S. you might ask? The carbon rights. Granted, this means that these projects would likely be credited to U.S. companies for action on climate change should there be future requirements - that is the reason these companies want to invest. However, the preservation, environmental restoration, technical expertise and improved water quality - all remain in the host country and under the control of whomever owns the land there. All this benefit - without taking precious resources from your governments.

Carbon Sequestration Facts

I know there are many of you who are skeptical about carbon sinks. You may have heard from some of our European friends that this is just a loop-hole the U.S. wants to use to avoid real commitments. I strongly disagree. Let me share with you some of the research of this promising field -

• The U.S. Dept. of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Lab calculates that over the next 50 to 100 years, agricultural lands alone have the potential to remove anywhere from 40 to 80 billion metric tons of carbon from the atmosphere. Forests and grasslands afford additional capacity for carbon storage.
• Several U.S. researchers, the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Energy have concluded that it is possible to monitor the changes in soil carbon content - and that while these means are expensive now, technological development could provide new and widely applicable methods at reasonable cost.
• Researchers have also concluded that while atmospheric carbon releases to the atmosphere continue to clime at a rate of 3.5 billion tons per year, significant long term reductions can be achieved by applying tried and true land management practices such as conservation or no-till farming, increased use of rotational crops such as alfalfa and by an efficient return of animal wastes to the soil.
• Recently, the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) recognized the importance of carbon sequestration saying, "The conservation of threatened forests, in particular, may help avoid greenhouse gas emissions that would have resulted otherwise from deforestation."
• The destruction of tropical forests accounts for approximately 20% of the annual greenhouse gas emissions caused by human activities. This means that there could be large reductions in greenhouse gases if incentives and markets were developed

As you can see, carbon sequestration holds much promise as an environmental tool to combat climate change - so much so, that I believe the U.S. will move forward with domestic policy to encourage this type of conservation regardless of whether it is globally recognized as a means to fight climate change.

The Politics of Carbon Sinks The danger, however, is that if this real way to slow greenhouse gases accumulation is not recognized - it becomes all to easy for the U.S. to legitimately walk away from a global treaty while telling the American public - "we tried."

If the talks in the Hague were to continue in the same anti-sinks, anti-trading tone, the U.S. will never get to an agreement that could be ratified by the U.S. Senate - as is required under our Constitution.

I hope this does not happen because the problem is real and the U.S. does have a responsibility as the largest greenhouse gas emitter to address it. But if our focus is the problem of climate change - then instead of inserting political and cultural objections to the means of achieving reductions, we should instead focus on a stringent accounting and verification process to ensure real reductions.

Instead of viewing carbon sinks as a loop-hole, I think it works just the opposite way. Carbon sequestration can buy us time - estimated to as much as 50 years - to develop and deploy new technology that can radically reduce greenhouse gases without being an economic killer. It can buy us time because it slows the rate of CO2 accumulation and could even reduce the gas currently trapped in the atmosphere even without immediate emissions reductions. In this way, carbon sinks lead us to real reductions because the only way the U.S. will take part in a global treaty is if the means are available to reduce these gases without crippling our economy.

No policymaker - of either political party - would be able to stand for a policy that will harm the economy, drive industry to other countries and reduce the quality of life for constituents -- all without guaranteeing a solution to the problem. That is why you saw the 95-0 vote on the Byrd-Hagel resolution regarding climate change. Instead, let us ease into this issue by doing what we can now while continuing the negotiations on how to find agreement on the larger debate.

There are those who are concerned that this is too little too late - that we are on the verge of a crisis - and must take radical action. To those people I would remind them that there has been 10 years of negotiations with the Kyoto Protocol - and we are no closer to resolution than when we began.

I believe it is irresponsible to kill legitimate gains to the environment to fuel a political agenda that seeks more than the public can support right now.

Give us a chance to prove that carbon sinks, technology transfer, the Clean Development Mechanism and markets can work to reduce climate change. If these means are not measurable and able to survive international scrutiny, they will not be credited as such.

Otherwise, I fear 10 more years of bickering and political jockeying will not bring us any closer to resolving this issue - and many of your nations will face the brunt of the impacts including more storms, flooding and drought - more unpredictable weather on a larger scale.

I believe the greatest challenges in life are given to us by God to force us to overcome our cultural and national differences and really work together - to listen to each other. I hope we can begin a new way of looking at this problem - one that embraces a spirit of partnership rather than competitiveness.

Thank you for your time - for your hard work on this issue - and for the insights you will be sharing with us and other countries throughout the conference!!