The United States is demonstrating leadership under the Framework Convention on Climate Change and in other international fora. To date, key elements of the U.S. approach have included:
- Promoting actions to strengthen the international response under the Framework Convention and working with other nations to determine appropriate goals for the next century.
- Encouraging a strong international process to review national plans. The United States is also helping to build the capacity for appropriate actions in nearly 60 developing counties and transition economies through the U.S. Country Studies program.
- Demonstrating the benefits of joint projects through the U.S. Initiative on Joint Implementation, the first such program in the world.
- Promoting the development and diffusion of beneficial technologies.
- Supporting reform of international institutions, including working with the multilateral development banks, to better assist their clients to fulfill their obligations under the Convention.
- Strengthening the newly restructured Global Environment Facility (GEF) to effectively serve as the operating entity of the Convention's financial mechanism. The United States is committed to ensuring the success of the GEF in responding to the threat of climate change.