[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2003, Book I)]
[February 12, 2003]
[Pages 161-162]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Statement on Initiatives To Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions
February 12, 2003

    The United States is taking prudent steps to address the long-term 
challenge of global climate change. We are reducing projected greenhouse 
gas emissions in the near term, while devoting greater resources to 
improving climate change science and developing advanced energy 
technologies. America has already made great progress in this effort: 
Between 1990 and 2001, industrial sector emissions were held constant, 
while our economy grew by almost 40 percent. Sustaining and accelerating 
this progress will help us meet our goal of reducing the greenhouse gas 
intensity of the American economy by 18 percent by 2012.
    A year ago, I challenged American businesses to develop new, 
voluntary initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. I am pleased 
to announce today that 12 major industrial sectors and the membership of 
the Business Roundtable have responded with ambitious commitments to 
reduce their greenhouse gas emissions in the coming decade.
    America's electric utilities; petroleum refiners and natural gas 
producers; chemical, automotive, magnesium, iron and steel 
manufacturers; forest and paper producers; railroads; the mining, 
cement, aluminum and semiconductor industries; and many of America's 
leading corporations have committed to actions that will prevent 
millions of tons of greenhouse gas emissions in the coming decade. I 
commend these initiatives which will help these businesses and 
industries continue to improve their energy efficiency and overall 
productivity, while contributing toward achieving our goal to reduce the 
greenhouse gas intensity of the American economy.
    As I said last year, every sector of the economy will need to 
contribute to our efforts to achieve our ambitious national goal. These 
initiatives are a first step in what we expect to be an ongoing 
engagement with these and other sectors of our economy in the years 
ahead.
    Underpinning our approach to climate change is an understanding that 
meeting

[[Page 162]]

this long-term challenge requires policies that recognize that sustained 
economic growth is an essential part of the solution. Policies that 
undermine the health of our economy would only hamper America's ability 
to develop and deploy new energy technologies and invest in energy 
efficiency and productivity improvements. The United States is the 
world's leader in technological development, industrial productivity, 
and environmental quality. These strengths make possible the initiatives 
that have been announced today to reduce or capture and store greenhouse 
gas emissions.