A highly split developed North will thus head to Kyoto next Monday. Clinton attempted to justify his isolation by stressing that a reduction of emissions would mean greater sacrifices for the United States. He pointed out that Germany had the advantage of being able to clean up its eastern portion by the simple substitution of technologies, while other European countries such as Great Britain were able to replace coal with less polluting fuels like natural gas. But Washington's position is a result of heavy pressure from industry and the difficulty of securing congressional approval for any commitment to combat global warming which would entail costs for the national economy. Brazil, meanwhile, is heading to Japan strengthened by having hosted the 1992 Earth Summit, where the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change was approved.
Brazil is also home to the world's largest forest reserves.
And although its Amazon jungles continue to be ravaged by fires, a phenomenon that is contributing to global warming, that also serves as a point in favour of the Clean Development Fund.