S. Korean president urges global efforts to fight climate change

By Byun Duk-kun
SINGAPORE, Nov. 15 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Lee Myung-bak appealed for
advanced and developing countries alike to undertake bold greenhouse gas
reductions at a meeting of Asia-Pacific leaders Sunday.
"I, too, agree with remarks by many leaders that we must reach a political deal
at the Copenhagen meeting to keep up the momentum in the fight against climate
change," Lee said, according to his spokeswoman Kim Eun-hye.
But such a deal must be preceded by several prerequisites, he said, including
high and bold levels of greenhouse gas reduction targets by advanced countries,
as well as equally bold and voluntary targets by developing economies.
"I believe it is important that we include the principles of support by advanced
countries (for developing nations) in the deal. We must also take efforts to
reach agreement on which countries will provide and how the resources will be
distributed," President Lee said.
The breakfast meeting on climate change, previously unscheduled, was held on the
sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, involving 19 of
21 APEC leaders and Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen.
Sunday's talks were intended to give thrust to a U.N. climate summit slated for
next month in Copenhagen.
South Korea is expected to set its 2020 greenhouse gas reduction target at 4
percent below the 2005 level at a Cabinet meeting scheduled for early next week.
bdk@yna.co.kr
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