Obama for the (Climate) Change We Need

It’s hard not to be influenced by the high hopes the election of Barack Obama has inspired to the Middle East. I my private non scientific survey among colleagues, Jordanian friends and professional contacts in Amman I have not been able to find one single voice that regrets the election of Obama. Media, blogs, homepages and people are univocal in their praise. The enthusiasm in Jordan that has surrounded the American election has been impressive. 

Amidst all the high hopes I fear that Obama can not but disappoint his many supporters in this region and in Europe. He will be facing a though time in the near future – giving priority to setting up his administration, dealing with the financial crisis, the US budget (deficit) – in short getting his priorities right and converting election promises into real policies. I am not convinced that Obama’s priorities on the shorter term will be the same as his Middle Eastern supporters. Patience will be needed not to create disappointment.

One of the issues where the Obama/Biden campaign has been much more aggressive than the McCain/Palin is on the climate change issue. Obama’s “New Energy for America” strategy looks mostly promising. It seems evident that Obama looks at energy both from a climate change and a security angle. Like Jordan the American president-elect will reduce his country’s dependence on imported energy and shift energy production towards renewable energy sources. His goals are ambitious. Eliminate current (fuel) imports from the Middle East and Venezuela within 10 years and ensure 10 percent of electricity comes from renewable sources by 2012 and 25 percent by 2025. At the same time he wants to create 5 million green collar (nice expression) jobs in clean energy. And the biggest energy savings will some from energy conservation mesures. In short he wants USA to become a leader in climate change. So does my country – as long as the US is seriously striving to meet ambitious goals.

I guess that these initiatives will not be well received by some of the traditional US allies but from my point of view the US as the biggest emitter of greenhouse gasses should lead the way towards a more environmental sustainable societal model. The first litmus test will be America’s stance on the way to the Climate Change Summit in Copenhagen next year. One thing is for sure – we all need to be ambitious and push for the climate change we need.

The Obama/Biden “New Energy for America” strategy in detail (.pdf)