Administration Fills Out Roster for Global Warming Conference

The Clinton administration yesterday settled on a slate of veteran diplomats and senior aides to press its case for cuts in air pollution at next week's international conference on global warming, even as top White House officials sought to lower expectations about the outcome of the talks.

Stuart E. Eizenstat, undersecretary of state for economic, business and agricultural affairs, will head the delegation of about 80 officials and staff that will attempt to negotiate the world's first binding international treaty limiting emissions of greenhouse gases in Kyoto, Japan, administration officials confirmed.

Eizenstat replaces Timothy E. Wirth, the undersecretary of state for global affairs and the presumed delegation leader, who announced last week he was quitting to head a foundation created by media mogul Ted Turner.

The difficulty of Eizenstat's task was evident yesterday at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, where the topic dominated a leaders lunch on its final day in Vancouver, British Columbia.

In discussion with his peers from 17 other Pacific Rim nations, President Clinton lobbied vigorously in favor of his plan to curb greenhouse gases, but won no commitments for limits by the developing nations that he insists must be covered by any treaty.

Administration officials remained publicly hopeful, but privately they acknowledged that the chances of wrapping up an agreement in Kyoto are slim. Instead, they have lowered their ambitions, hoping merely to put together a framework that can lead to further discussions.

"It's hard to see all the details coming together," said a senior official traveling with Clinton. "But the key is to get agreement on the main points."

Even that will be tricky. White House officials believe that a consensus is possible on setting goals for industrial countries; European leaders, they say, have begun to realize their target of a 15 percent reduction will not sell. Japan's proposal for a 5 percent cut -- with a complicated formula that would actually translate to just a 2.5 percent cut for the United States -- could become the foundation of a compromise.

However, even if that is accomplished, no agreement appears in reach that would include developing countries, which Clinton and Congress consider a prerequisite to any treaty.

Clinton tried to make the case to the leaders of such countries as China, Thailand and Indonesia that it would be in their interest to commit to some still-undefined goals to avoid the same mistakes developed countries made in polluting their own air and water. Rather than harm their economy, he told them, it could foster stronger growth, and he made clear that they would not have to meet the same targets as industrial nations. Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright suggested that the major powers would "act first" and allow developing countries more time to adopt changes.

"We have to find a way to do this and still reassure these developing nations they're not giving up future growth," Clinton said before a Monday meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto, who as host of the conference is particularly anxious to make it successful. "I'm lobbying as hard as I can here."

Eizenstat, the State Department's top economic official, will be joined by Ambassador to Japan Thomas S. Foley. Other senior representatives from the State Deapartment include Melinda Kimble, the acting assistant secretary for oceans and international environmental and scientific affairs, and OES Deputy Assistant Secretary Rafe Pomerance. The administration also tapped 11 senior White House aides, including Kathleen McGinty, chairman of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, and Todd Stern, who heads the White House's climate change task force.

Also on the list are representatives of the Environmental Protection Agency, the departments of Agriculture and Energy, and several other agencies.

The appointments end weeks of speculation about the makeup of the delegation, but leave unanswered whether Vice President Gore will also attend. "The vice president will be deeply engaged, whether he is here or there," Eizenstat said. "This is an issue which the vice president helped raise to international consciousness."

Environmental groups have urged Gore and President Clinton to go to Kyoto, warning that a failure to attend would signal a lack of political will in pushing for a strong treaty. Eizenstat dismissed that argument, noting that no other heads of state are expected to attend.

Staff writer Al Kamen contributed to this report.