The leader of Plaid Cymru - The Party of Wales in the European Parliament, Jill Evans MEP, will be in Gothenburg today (Thursday, 14th June) to call on US President George Bush and his new administration to commit itself to the Kyoto protocol in order to tackle global warming.

Coinciding with the first meeting between President Bush and the EU Council, Ms Evans will urge European Heads of State to go ahead and ratify the Kyoto Protocol and to put pressure on Bush to do the same.

Representing the whole of Wales in the European Parliament, Ms Evans will be joined by environmental and human rights campaigner Bianca Jagger for the launch of the campaign in Gothenburg. Speaking last night Ms Evans said,

"Europe must send a clear message to President Bush that the actions of the US government in rejecting the Kyoto world strategy against global warming is not only unacceptable, it is morally wrong. The biggest polluter on earth must take responsibility for the devastating impact that its policies are having on the entire planet."

"Bush must leave Gothenburg with the clear message that Europe and the rest of the world expects the US to clean up its act. The US with 4% of the world’s population cannot be allowed to continue to get away with emitting 25% of the worlds carbon dioxide. Climate Change can only be effectively tackled through a global response - the US must acknowledge this and re-assert its commitment to the Kyoto Protocol immediately. Only then can tangible progress be made in Bonn in July in advance of the 2002 Rio +10 Conference in Johannesburg."

"For the sake of the planet President Bush must think again. What the world is demanding is that the US commits itself to the Kyoto protocol."

Diwedd/Ends.