In the final decades of the 20th century, the United States was a pioneer in domestic environmental lawmaking, and a leader in international environmental cooperation. Yet under the administration of George W. Bush, it has moved away from cooperating with other states in finding new ways to protect the global environment. As a result, it has fallen behind as a number of European states have started to implement robust policies to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.

In this article, Paul G. Harris (Department of Political Science, Lingnan University, Hong Kong) argues that the US could be a leader in addressing climate change. If it were to set a positive example, other nations would follow. However, if it continues to reject such a leadership role, many other states will not feel obligated to reduce their own greenhouse gas emissions. This could isolate Europe in taking major action on climate change, and in a worst-case scenario, cause Europe to backtrack on its own commitments.

The author believes that American policymakers at all levels, and the American people themselves, are finally starting to catch up with the science of climate change. Denial is rapidly being overtaken by interest and action at the level of states and municipalities. Thus, US climate policy is evolving.

There is a possibility that in coming years the US could choose to protect entrenched industrial interests and seek to gain support among states opposed to robustly cutting greenhouse gas emissions. In this sense, the US and China might find common ground, as the have in recent years.

The author concludes that the US may seek to lead by mustering broad international consensus for ambitious reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. In this respect, the US could use its influence most effectively by creating a system of incentives for cooperation. This could be especially effective if done in tandem with the European Union.