Rich Countries Deadlocked Over 2020 Climate Goals
Date: 31-Aug-07
Country: AUSTRIA
A draft text at the Vienna meeting said rich countries
should recognise a need for cuts of between 25 and 40 percent
below 1990 levels by 2020 to avert the worst effects of climate
change.
Russia, Japan, Canada, New Zealand and Switzerland objected
that such goals would be too demanding after a first period of
the UN Kyoto Protocol, the main plan for fighting global
warming, ends in 2012, delegates said.
The European Union was among those in favour of the
non-binding range to guide future work by governments as part of
a drive to shift from use of fossil fuels.
"I hope we will be able to agree on an indicative range,"
Leon Charles of Grenada, the chair of the meeting who drafted
the proposed text, told Reuters.
Delegates from 158 countries are meeting in Vienna from Aug.
27 to 31 to try to agree ways to extend a fight against global
warming after a first period of Kyoto ending in 2012.
Environmentalists urged all rich nations to take the lead
and agree deep cuts to avert mounting effects likely to include
more powerful storms, more floods, droughts and rising seas.
"Only if industrialised countries agree to cut their
emissions by at least 25-40 percent by 2020 does the world have
a chance of avoiding the worst excesses of climate change," said
Stephanie Tunmore of Greenpeace.
Kyoto binds 35 countries to cut emissions, mainly from
burning fossil fuels, by 5 percent below 1990 levels by 2008-12.
Thursday's talks were the first chance for Kyoto backers to
see if they could agree a range of cuts to guide talks on a new
climate pact by the end of 2009.The United States is not part
of Kyoto and not involved in the discussions.
Charles's draft aims to stabilise greenhouse gas emissions
at a level that would limit global warming to between 2.0 and
2.4 Celsius (3.6 and 4.3 Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial
levels.
The EU, which has said it will unilaterally cut emissions by
20 percent by 2020 and by 30 percent if other countries follow
suit, says that any gain in temperatures above two degrees
Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit) will bring "dangerous" climate changes.