Delegates from about 180 countries began talks today in Bonn, Germany, to try to salvage the Kyoto treaty on climate change, even though the U.S. has withdrawn from it. The European Union is lobbying Japan not to follow U.S. President Bush’s lead by rejecting Kyoto. But Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi yesterday downplayed the talks in Bonn, suggesting that negotiations scheduled for October in Morocco would be a bigger deal. Some European leaders are accusing Bush of breaking a pledge he made last month not to pressure other countries to withdraw from Kyoto. Bush on Friday unveiled a scattered set of climate change initiatives, including more funding for climate studies, but he has yet to propose a comprehensive alternative to Kyoto.
