G-8 endorses greenhouse gas cuts, but details are few
Leaders of wealthy nations back a goal of halving greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, but analysts criticize the declaration, saying it lacks specific targets.
RUSUTSU, Japan -- Leaders of the Group of 8 wealthy nations today endorsed a goal of halving greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, a step officials called significant toward reaching an international treaty to combat global warming by next year.
But environmental groups and other analysts immediately criticized the declaration from the G-8, saying it was vaguely worded and lacked critical numerical targets for reducing carbon gases.
The G-8's communique, issued here on the second day of its annual summit, also said each of the member nations would make "ambitious" emission cuts in the interim, but it gave no details. The group comprises the United States, Japan, Germany, Britain, France, Canada, Italy and Russia.
U.S. and Japanese officials said the declaration represented significant progress from last year, when G-8 leaders agreed to "seriously consider" a proposal by Japan to reduce carbon emissions by 50% by mid-century. President Bush and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper had resisted that idea, insisting that any meaningful accord must include emerging industrial powerhouses such as China and India.
"The G-8 nations came to a mutual recognition that this target -- cutting global emissions by at least 50% by 2050 -- should be a global target," said Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda. He is chairing this year's summit, which has been dominated by global warming and issues of soaring food and fuel.
But analysts said the declaration was loaded with bureaucratic language and lacked specifics that would probably be needed to satisfy major emerging countries.
Nations such as China and India have been reluctant to make commitments on cutting greenhouse gases, arguing that they are not responsible for the accumulation of carbon levels in the atmosphere over decades. They maintain that developed countries should lead in reducing emissions and help developing countries follow suit.
The G-8 has invited leaders of China, India, Mexico, Brazil and South Africa for so-called outreach discussions Wednesday that will take up global warming. This group of five nations met today in Sapporo, about 100 miles from the remote summit site in northern Japan, and afterward issued a joint declaration calling on developed countries to achieve greenhouse emission reductions of 80% to 95% below 1990 levels by 2050.
"Developed countries should commit clearly to significant additional financing to support both mitigation and adaptation in developing countries," the statement said.
