Friday, July 10, 2009

G8 leaders 'should have done better' on carbon cuts

ABC News Online, Fri Jul 10, 2009

Greens Leader Bob Brown says world leaders meeting in Italy should have made more progress on setting firm targets for cuts to greenhouse gas emissions.

Leaders at the G8 summit in Italy have agreed to limit global temperature rises to 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

But the Major Economies Forum has failed to sign off on targets for the emissions cuts needed to meet that goal.

Senator Brown says that is extremely disappointing.

"It's amazing to get a group of leaders together to deal with the biggest environmental threat to the planet, which includes the economic wellbeing of the planet, unable to come up with any statement of any substance with any targets at all just a few months out from the Copenhagen meeting," he said.

"They should have done better than that."

There is little detail but it is reported developed countries will aim for the biggest emissions cuts - 80 per cent - while developing nations will be required to reduce their emissions by 50 per cent by the target year 2050.

Despite G8 backing for a 50 per cent cut in emissions globally, a broader group of major polluters, including many developing countries such as China and India, dropped a pledge earlier to halve their pollution by 2050.

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