美國環保署最近決定讓實施逐步8年「氣候領導者計畫」逐步退場，包括環保署對企業所提供的技術支援、溫室氣提減排目標制定等協助，亦將逐步縮減。
「氣候領導者計畫」是一個自2002年布希時代開始的自願性方案，幫助企業完成溫室氣體盤查、設定減排目標並達成目標的計畫。美國環保署說，針對溫室氣體減排的自願性計畫有許多新的發展，包括2010年1月1日起生效，有史以來首次執行的強制性溫室氣體申報規定。
美國環保署空氣與輻射辦公室副主任麥卡錫(Gina McCarthy)，在15日的一封信中對氣候領袖計畫相關的公司說，強制性溫室氣體申報規定將取代自願性的氣候領導者計畫。
麥卡錫在信中說道，「環保署完成並且將實施的強制性溫室氣體申報規範，是得自氣候領導者計畫的幫助。這些新的規範將提供新而全面性的溫室氣體申報計畫，美國環保署有信心將能夠因此引發對溫室氣體減排的支持與更顯著的關心。」
麥卡錫說，這個轉變將讓「我們可以重新分配美國環保署的資源」，以幫助企業在新的溫室氣體減排計畫下，由所收集到的排放資料中學習。
麥卡錫說，政府與非政府組織現在可以提供原本環保署所提供的氣候領導者計畫中的服務。
「美國環保署已經確定，由州政府以及非政府組織所執行的氣候計畫，已足以對那些願意以全面性完整的報告(超越強制性溫室氣體報告規範之要求)，並且(或者)設置企業層級的溫室氣體相關設施或減排目標的合作夥伴或實體，提供充分的服務，以精進他們的氣候領導者地位。」
麥卡錫說，美國環保署將協助氣候領導者的合作夥伴過渡到這些非聯邦計畫，「這將會讓那些企業超越強制性申報的要求，達成所訂的目標。」但她沒有推薦任何一個非聯邦的方案，她說，「除了由州政府所共同提供的服務之外，美國環保署不能支持任何一個特定方案。每個合作夥伴必須自行決定哪一個項目最符合自身的需要。」
「美國環保署非常重視合作夥伴為達到氣候領導者計畫要求所做出的努力，對合作夥伴們所達成的目標以及許多的成就感到自豪，」麥卡錫寫道，「我必須清楚的表示，這個轉變並不是意味者，美國環保署就此不再認同這些氣候領導者計畫的參與者。」
儘管一些參與氣候領導者計畫的公司僅做出會減少溫室氣體減排的承諾，還是有些公司已經實際達成減排目標。
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has decided to phase down services the agency offers to companies under its eight-year-old Climate Leaders program, including technical assistance and setting greenhouse gas reduction goals.
Climate Leaders was started in 2002 under the Bush administration as a voluntary program for organizations to complete a corporate-wide greenhouse gas inventory, set a reduction goal and meet that goal.
The EPA said there are many new developments in regulatory and voluntary programs that address greenhouse gas emissions, including the first-ever mandatory greenhouse gas reporting rules that took effect on January 1, 2010.
In a letter to Climate Leaders companies dated September 15, Gina McCarthy, assistant administrator in EPA's Office of Air and Radiation, said the mandatory reporting rules will take the place of the voluntary Climate Leaders program.
"EPA has also finalized and is implementing Mandatory Reporting Rules that the Climate Leaders program helped to inform," wrote McCarthy.
"These rules provide the foundation for a new comprehensive greenhouse gas Reporting Program that EPA is confident will spark significant interest in and support for greenhouse gas emissions reductions," she wrote.
McCarthy wrote that the transition will "allow us to realign EPA resources" to help companies learn from the emissions data collected under the new Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program.
McCarthy said states and nongovernmental organizations can now perform the services the EPA has been providing through the Climate Leaders program.
"EPA has determined that climate programs operated by the states and NGOs are now robust enough to service our Partners and other entities that wish to continue to advance their climate leadership through comprehensive reporting (that exceed mandatory reporting requirements) and/or the establishment of facility or corporate level greenhouse gas reduction goals," she wrote.
McCarthy says the EPA will assist the transition of the Climate Leaders partners into these non-federal programs "that will allow them to go above and beyond mandatory reporting requirements to meet their goals."
But she stopped short of recommending any of these non-federal programs, saying, "With the exception of programs offered by our state coregulators, EPA cannot endorse any particular program. It is up to each Partner to decide which program would be the best fit."
"EPA very much values the effort that our Partners have made to meet Climate Leaders requirements and achieve program milestones and is proud of your many accomplishments," McCarthy wrote. "I want to be clear that this transition does not signal the end of EPA's commitment to recognize climate leaders."
While some of the Climate Leaders participating companies only made pledges to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, others have achieved their stated goals.
全文及圖片詳見：ENS報導
※ 本文與
合作刊登
