Joseph Coleman
May 26, 2008 - 2:43 p.m.
KOBE, Japan (AP) - Under pressure to boost talks on a new global warming pact, Group of Eight environment ministers on Monday endorsed slashing conservatory gas emissions in half by mid-century, but failed to yield assent on much more contentious near-term targets.
The three-day meeting in Kobe was dominated by calls from the U.N., European countries and developing nations to move eager on setting targets for cutting emissions by 2020. Scientists speech those targets are needed to avoid the worst effects of global warming.
But the ministers from the U.S., Japan, Germany, France, Britain, Canada, Italy and Russia, in a carefully worded report, mentioned only the strait to decline such targets eventually. That frustrated environmentalists and some European ministers.
"From a according to principles point of view, we need a clear reduction target, for the cause that the next 20 years are very vital, very of high standing for climate change and the decisions we make in this process," related Matthias Machnig, Germany's state pastor for environment.
The Kobe meeting was meant to set the drama for the G8 summit in Toyako, Japan, in July. Tokyo has put climate change at the center of the agenda, and multiplied are hoping for a strong signal from the top to push forward wider international talks on global warming.
In their statement, the ministers said there was "cohesive civic will" to reach agreement at the summit to cut emissions 50 percent by 2050. The statement in addition cited the need for global gas emissions to peak within the next 10 to 20 years, and it called on developing countries with rapidly expanding greenhouse gas emissions to work to curb the rate of increase.
"As we head toward the Toyako summit, I believe this meeting has supposing impetus," said Japanese Environment Minister Ichiro Kamoshita.
The ministers also acknowledged developing nations' demands for help in financing and technology transfer to become more energy efficient, develop their economies more cleanly, and adapt to changes wrought by warming, such as rising sea levels.
The U.N. launched negotiations late last year on a new climate change pact to take over when the capital phase of the Kyoto Protocol expires at the end of 2012. Negotiators face a deadline of December 2009, when some 190 nations will suited in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Deep divisions, however, have plagued the talks.
European nations support a U.N. scientific finding that emissions cuts of betwixt 25 percent to 40 percent by 2020 are needed to stop global temperatures from rise so high they trigger widespread environmental damage. The United States, however, considers so cuts beyond reach, while Japan says it's unmatured to commit to 2020 limits. Developing nations are clamoring for commitments by rich countries before they discuss what poorer countries should do.
Environmentalists were disappointed with Monday's announcement.