Letter to the Editor
The Washington Post
Published December 6, 2012
Regarding the Dec. 4 editorial “The heat is on in Doha”:

Much as we would like it to be true, it is premature to assert, as the editorial board did, that the United States is “on track” to meeting President Obama’s pledge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 17 percent below 2005 levels by 2020. Such projections assume full implementation of carbon constraints on existing power plants that the administration has yet even to propose.

My organization concurs with the need for a stronger and more balanced global climate agreement and with the need for U.S. leadership to deliver it. The way to start is by moving forward right away with the steps that would allow us to legitimately claim to be fulfilling our international pledge.

Eileen Claussen, Arlington
The writer is president of the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions.

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