ID :
10633
Mon, 06/23/2008 - 20:43
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/10633
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Major Carbon Emitters Draft Statement for July Summit
Seoul, June 23 (Jiji Press)--Major carbon-emitting nations on Monday wrapped up a meeting on measures to fight global warming by working out a draft statement for adoption at their summit meeting set for July on the sidelines of the Group of Eight summit.
Representatives from 16 major emitters, including the G-8
countries, China and India, agreed to have the draft statement include an expression that reaffirms the importance of the Japan-proposed long-term target of halving worldwide CO2 emissions by 2050, according to sources familiar with the just-ended meeting in Seoul.
Last-minute talks centered on whether the statement should pledge to "seriously consider" the long-term target but the draft was watered down due to opposition from emerging countries, the sources said.
For a shorter time frame through around 2020-2030, the major
emitters gave up setting a numerical target but agreed to include a wording in the statement that urges industrialized nations to step up efforts to reduce emissions, the sources said.
The meeting, which started Saturday, went over the scheduled
closing time by 12 hours, due to a conflict between industrialized nations, which wanted to build an agreement on a numerical target, and developing countries, which remained cautious about such a target. Developing nations insisted that advanced nations take the lead in reducing emissions.
Although details of the draft statement were not disclosed, Koji Tsuruoka, director-general for global issues at the Japanese Foreign Ministry, told reporters that there were in-depth discussions about the long-term and medium-term emission cut targets as well as about Japan's proposal for reducing emissions through a sector-by-sector approach.
Tsuruoka said the fact that the major emitters managed to work out the draft statement is an achievement in the preparatory stage.
The agreement in the Seoul meeting will be reported to Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, who will chair the July summit of the 16 emitter nations, to be held in the lakeside resort of Toyako in Japan's northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido.
Representatives from 16 major emitters, including the G-8
countries, China and India, agreed to have the draft statement include an expression that reaffirms the importance of the Japan-proposed long-term target of halving worldwide CO2 emissions by 2050, according to sources familiar with the just-ended meeting in Seoul.
Last-minute talks centered on whether the statement should pledge to "seriously consider" the long-term target but the draft was watered down due to opposition from emerging countries, the sources said.
For a shorter time frame through around 2020-2030, the major
emitters gave up setting a numerical target but agreed to include a wording in the statement that urges industrialized nations to step up efforts to reduce emissions, the sources said.
The meeting, which started Saturday, went over the scheduled
closing time by 12 hours, due to a conflict between industrialized nations, which wanted to build an agreement on a numerical target, and developing countries, which remained cautious about such a target. Developing nations insisted that advanced nations take the lead in reducing emissions.
Although details of the draft statement were not disclosed, Koji Tsuruoka, director-general for global issues at the Japanese Foreign Ministry, told reporters that there were in-depth discussions about the long-term and medium-term emission cut targets as well as about Japan's proposal for reducing emissions through a sector-by-sector approach.
Tsuruoka said the fact that the major emitters managed to work out the draft statement is an achievement in the preparatory stage.
The agreement in the Seoul meeting will be reported to Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, who will chair the July summit of the 16 emitter nations, to be held in the lakeside resort of Toyako in Japan's northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido.
