Nations pledge for clean energy amid treaty stalemate

Nations pledged to work together to improve the efficiency of energy-guzzlers from televisions to cars, showing practical cooperation on climate change despite a deadlock on sealing a treaty.

Senior officials from economies that make up more than 80 per cent of global gross domestic product agreed on 11 initiatives during talks in Washington, which betrayed none of the sharp divisions typical of climate negotiations.

US Energy Secretary Steven Chu, who led the meeting, said that the clean energy projects would eliminate the need for more than 500 mid-sized power plants around the world over the next 20 years.

“This is about taking concrete action and concrete steps. This is not about philosophical positioning,” Mr Chu said after two days of talks among 21 nations including key emerging economies China, India, Brazil and South Africa.

“Yes, we have to deal with international agreements, but we can’t wait for those to move,” Mr Chu said. “We know the energy challenge won’t wait, and we won’t wait either.”

While the two-day talks were not designed to pledge funds, Mr Chu said that the nations together have invested “hundreds of millions of dollars” in developing green energy, and several states said they were boosting resources in research.

One key initiative will look at ways to improve the energy efficiency of home appliances such as televisions, which the US Energy Department estimated would reduce the need for about 80 power plants by 2030.

A number of nations will participate in the appliance research, including the US, Japan, South Korea, India and European nations.