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General Motors Statement in Response to the Announcement Of a Global Climate Agreement in Kyoto, Japan

11 December 1997

General Motors Statement in Response to the Announcement Of a Global Climate Agreement in Kyoto, Japan

    WASHINGTON, Dec. 11 -- General Motors Corporation
issued the following statement:

    General Motors understands there is cause for concern over the issue of
global climate change.  We are working hard on the development and deployment
of technologies to minimize the environmental impact of cars and trucks.  We
believe that the deployment of these technologies needs to occur without
economic disruption to society, which could make improvements even more
difficult to implement.
    We are concerned that the agreement coming out of Kyoto will hurt the
global competitiveness of U.S. industry.  The Administration went into Kyoto
with a proposal that included flexibility in meeting reduction levels and the
need for meaningful participation by developing nations.  Neither of these
objectives are included in the agreement.  If the agreement is implemented as
described, American people could pay a high price and still not receive
meaningful improvement to the global environment.
    Just as we will continue to work on technologies to minimize the
environmental impact of cars and trucks, we also will continue to work with
the Administration and the U.S. Congress to carefully evaluate the economic
and competitive impact this agreement will have on the U.S. economy and
American workers.

SOURCE  General Motors Corporation