Forum to seek 50% global emissions cut by 2050, 80% by advanced nations

TOKYO, July 4 Kyodo -
A multilateral forum on climate change is set to call for a 50 percent global
emissions cut by 2050, with industrialized nations reducing greenhouse gas
emissions at least 80 percent within the time frame, according to a draft of
its declaration obtained Saturday by Kyodo News.
The draft, to be adopted at the summit meeting of the Major Economies Forum on
Energy and Climate to be held on the sidelines of the Group of Eight summit
next week in Italy, notes that it is ''aware of the broad scientific view that
the increase in global average temperature above pre-industrial levels ought
not to exceed 2 degrees C.''
The draft was apparently referring to a proposal by the U.N. Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change that developed countries cut emissions 25-40 percent
from 1990 levels by 2020 to keep temperatures below a 2 C rise, which some
economists and environmentalists see as a threshold for dangerous climate
change involving water scarcity, coastal flooding and infectious diseases.
Based on this recognition, the MEF leaders ''support an aspirational global
goal of reducing global emissions by 50 percent by 2050, with developed
countries reducing emissions by at least 80 percent by 2050,'' the document
says.
But the draft does not mention specific targets involving mid-term emissions
reduction goals by 2020 for advanced nations.
G-8 leaders from Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the
United States are considering adopting a declaration of their own that would
include similar long-term emissions reduction goals for 2050, according to
diplomatic sources.
Such action is expected to provide momentum in international negotiations to
create a carbon-capping framework to succeed the 1997 Kyoto Protocol that
expires in 2012 by the end of this year.
But the sources said some emerging countries such as China and India have shown
reluctance to the 50 percent global emission reduction goal while Russia has
frowned on the goal for industrialized nations to cut emissions 80 percent.
Negotiators of MEF members -- the G-8 countries, the European Union, Australia,
Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Mexico, South Africa and South Korea -- are
expected to meet in Italy in the lead-up to their leaders' meeting Thursday,
the middle day of the three-day G-8 summit, and work on finalizing the draft.
''Climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our time,'' the draft
says. ''As leaders of the world's major economies, we intend to respond
vigorously to this challenge, being convinced that climate change poses a clear
danger requiring an extraordinary global response.''
The leaders will also pledge to ''dramatically increase and coordinate public
sector investments in research, development and demonstration of
transformational low-carbon technologies, with a view to doubling such
investments by 2015.''
They will show support toward the launch of ''fast start'' funding to help
developing countries in working out low-carbon growth plans as well as help the
''poorest and most vulnerable'' come up with adaptation strategies, with the
initial scope of the fund proposed at $400 million, according to the draft.
==Kyodo