Les répercussions des élections de 2006 sur la politique climatique américaine

Selon cet article du Pew Centre on Global Climate Change de Washington, des mesures prochaines contre le changement climatique sont désormais plus que probables après le succès des démocrates.

The new Democratic congressional majority has put control of the agenda in the hands of policymakers who, to a large extent, favour climate action, says the Pew Centre. 

In both the Senate and the House of Representatives, democrats with a track-record of sponsoring climate change action in the past will chair important committees on the environment and energy. At the same time it is noted that at least five of the new democratic senators come from states which are not so inclined towards climate change action.

The role of Senator John McCain is seen to be important. A politician who has shown a strong commitment to climate action in the past, McCain is now considered a front-runner for the presidency in 2008. The article suggests that a climate change bill would be easier for moderates of both parties to support if its author is head of the Republican Party.

In conclusion, enactment of mandatory US climate action is believed to plausible by 2008 and indeed likely by 2010 due to the following factors: 

• The US public’s growing conern over climate change;
• the climate measures of California and the northeastern states;
• the growing sense in US industry that climate action is inevitable;
• the past several years of momentum in Congress;
• the recent election results, and;
• Senator McCain’s chances of being the Republican nominee for President in 2008.

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