With regard to the first misconception, President Clinton has clearly stated in his State of the Union Address that the US has "always found a way to clean the environment and grow the economy at the same time. And when it comes to global warming, we will do it again".  It should also be recalled that at the time of the Rio Summit, the United States, together with the other developed countries, had agreed to reduce emissions to 1990 levels by 2000. Although there is no sign of this being achieved as yet, further reduction commitments after 2000 are imperative under the Climate Change Treaty. 

The developing countries were exempted from any commitment to reduce GHG emissions in 1992 for the reason that they were indeed required to increase their emissions to secure a minimum level of development. It was recognized that the developed countries were responsible for 85% of the GHG emissions so far and that the developing countries had contributed only 15%. On a per capita basis, the developed countries emitted 2.8 tons of GHG per year while the developing countries emitted only 0.5 tons. On the basis of 11 common but differentiated responsibilities, therefore, the developing countries were authorized to increase emissions while at the same time, taking environment friendly measures for which "the incremental costs" would be paid by the developed countries. Contrary to the expectation raised in 1992, very little additional resources and concessional technology have been made available to the developing countries so far. 

In Berlin as well as in Kyoto, there was general agreement that the developing countries should not be asked to undertake new commitments under the Climate Change Treaty as it was recognized that their developmental priorities should not be upset by the diversion of scarce resources to the environment. This does not mean that the developing countries are unaware of their obligation to safeguard the environment. Most developing countries have major programs for renewable energy and for the development of environment friendly technologies. These are being undertaken within their national development plans. Additional measures can be undertaken only if new and additional resources in the form of incremental costs promised in Rio are made available. 

The basis of all the recent agreements on the environment is the partnership established in Rio by which the developed countries, as those who have contributed most to the degeneration of the environment, will take the first steps for the protection of the environment and the developing countries will do what they can without jeopardizing their developmental agenda. The decision taken in Kyoto that the United States should reduce its emissions by 7 % below the 1990 levels and that the developing countries should have no new commitments is therefore reasonable, logical and just.