Erin M. Crotty, Mr. Pataki's environment commissioner, declined yesterday to discuss the Bush administration's position.

In December the European Community's energy and environment commissioners tentatively adopted a plan to tax energy in general, and nonrenewable carbon fuels in particular.

"They do not have any concrete alternatives or options for the moment," Margot Wallstrom, the European Union's environment commissioner, said after today's meetings.

"We are showing our determination to fight climate change," said Europe's environment commissioner, Stavros Dimas, who announced the proposal Wednesday in Brussels.

A more direct challenge to sulfur emissions trading is coming from Thomas C. Jorling, New York's State's environment commissioner.

"Many farmers worldwide successfully grow crops without methyl bromide," said Margot Wallstrom, the environment commissioner for the European Union.

We have a Swedish environment commissioner: we now have a Swedish Presidency which has a firm commitment to the environment.

This is something which environment commissioner, Mrs Wallström, has always been very keen on.

"It's not so much about saving the world," Sadhu Johnston, the 31-year-old environment commissioner for Chicago, said in an interview.

The European environment commissioner, Margot Wallstrom, criticized an executive of Boeing as being nonchalant about the environmental effect of the company's proposed high-speed jet.