Washington, DC -- On the eve of international climate change negotiations in Kyoto, Japan, leaders of U.S. business, environmental, citizen and governmental organizations today released a statement of principles agreeing that climate change risks warrant early action.

"This consensus statement about climate policy is, as far as we are aware, the first such agreement," wrote business, environmental and government leaders of the President's Council on Sustainable Development in a letter to President Clinton accompanying the climate principles. "Leaders of major environmental organizations, and automobile, oil, power and chemical companies have listened thoughtfully to each other, and reached agreement."

The principles agreed to by the Climate Task Force of the President's Council call for incentives for early action, international commitments, accountability, flexibility, strong measures to encourage technology, and fairness. Task Force members include business leaders from American Electric Power, British Petroleum America, Dow Chemical, and General Motors; and environmental organizations including, the Environmental Defense Fund, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and the Sierra Club.

Next week, the United States joins other nations in Kyoto, Japan, for a United Nations Conference on Climate Change to negotiate a treaty to reduce greenhouse gas emissions which contribute to climate change.

Ray Anderson, Chief Executive Officer of the Interface Company, and Jonathan Lash, President of the World Resources Institute, are the Co-chairs of the President's Council. The President's Council on Sustainable Development, a federal advisory committee with 30 members representing diverse leaders from business, government, and community, environmental and native American groups, was created by President Clinton in 1993 to advise him on sustainable development and economic, environmental, and fairness issues.

A copy of the climate change principles, the letter to President Clinton accompanying the principles, and the membership list of the Climate Task Force are attached.