U.S. Environmental Diplomacy: A Historical Perspective(1960s-2008)

In the1960s and1970s, the global environmental problems triggeredwidespread concern of the international community. The United Nations Conferenceon the Environment held in1972was to become a landmark event in the rise ofinternational environmental diplomacy. Environmental diplomacy in the UnitedStates started in the1960s, and in the promotion of domestic environmentalmovement, became the leader of the international environmental diplomacy.Compared to traditional political diplomacy and economic diplomacy, environmentaldiplomacy saw the development of a new form of diplomacy. This paper focused onenvironmental diplomacy of the United States From the1960s to the end of the21stcentury Bush administration.Contemporary international environmental diplomacy roughly experienced fourhistorical periods (1972-1982,1982-1992,1992-2002,2002-present),4th InternationalConference on the Environment (held in Stockholm in1972, the United NationsHuman Conference on the Environment,1982at a meeting in Nairobi, Kenya, theUnited Nations Conference on environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro in1992,2002Johannesburg sustainable development Conference)as a sign of themilestone.In view of the development of contemporary international environmentaldiplomacy, combined with the characteristics of the development stage of the U.S.environmental diplomacy as well as the term of office of the President of the UnitedStates U.S. environmental diplomacy, the paper is divided into five stages ofdevelopment: the period of the rise of the1960s，"decade of the environment"ofthe1970s,80’s environmental diplomacy slow development,during the1990s, arenewed emphasis on environmental diplomacy and unilateralism environmentaldiplomacy period(2001-2008).Practice of early environmental diplomacy, the United States is important advocate and promoter of the international environmental movement, environmentaldiplomacy has become an important part of the U.S. international influence. TheUnited States to promote the establishment of a regional environmental organizations(NATO Committee on the Challenges of modern society and the Organisation forEconomic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Committee on the Environment),and actively promote the convening of the1972United Nations Conference on theHuman Environment.In the context of the times of the Cold War, environmental diplomacy becameimportant side to show the value and vitality of the United States. The face ofinternational environmental negotiations of the protection of the ozone layer, theUnited States has a leading role to play in the whole negotiation process, andultimately contributed to the international environmental treaties "MontrealProtocol" is reached.After the Cold War, the Clinton administration created a new historical periodof U.S. environmental diplomacy. In1997, the launch of the first report of anenvironmental diplomacy established environment diplomatic status in the UnitedStates in the country’s political life. In dealing with global climate issues, the Clintonadministration signed the "Kyoto Protocol"(not submitted to Congress for approval).At the same time, the Clinton administration also created a precedent in internationaltrade treaties, trade and the environment combined.With an increasingly negative attitude into the21st century in the period of theBush Administration, the U.S. approach to international environmental movement,particularly concerning the issue of global climate change has not been madespecific commitments on emission reduction obligations, its environmental policiesshowed strong unilateral color.Throughout the development of environmental diplomacy in the United Statesduring nearly half a century, the United States Environmental Diplomacy by theimpact of the international situation and the domestic situation, experiencedalternating changes of the peak-to-valley. In this paper, the analysis of the U.S. domestic interest groups, Congress, the president’s personal role and influence in thedecision-making process of environmental diplomacy, intrinsic motivation to explorethe different stages of the characteristics of the U.S. environmental diplomacy, toreveal the nature of their services in the national interest.