Blair recognizes Kyoto treaty stopped by its restrictions

September 16, 2005

In New York, speaking at the Clinton Global Initiative, British Prime Minister Tony Blair spoke with "brutal honesty" about the UNFCCC's Kyoto protocol and global warming.

Blair, a longtime supporter of the Kyoto treaty, recognized that countries will not accept the limits imposed on Kyoto: "No country is going to cut its growth."

Of India and China, "They're not going to start negotiating another treaty like Kyoto." India and China are classified as developing countries in the Kyoto protocol, so they can get money and technology but are not restricted by its limits.

His approach: "What countries will do is work together to develop the science and technology….There is no way that we are going to tackle this problem unless we develop the science and technology to do it."