NEWS | Wednesday, 09 July 2008

Only long-term emission targets set at G-8

Meeting on the island of Hokkaido in Japan yesterday, leaders of the world’s eight richest countries have only pledged to cut greenhouse-gas emissions in half by 2050, subjecting themselves to a barrage of criticism by environmental lobbies for refusing to also set themselves short and medium-term targets.
Notwithstanding the pressure EU leaders have been putting on the US in order to take a more aggressive stance on climate change, EU Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso described yesterday’s decision as “a strong signal to citizens around the world.”
“The science is clear, the economic case for action is stronger than ever,” he said. “Now we need to go the extra mile to secure an ambitious global deal in Copenhagen.”
The conference also established that the way food prices are rocketing is a matter of deep concern, as it is expected to “push millions more back into poverty.”
This evening, the Group of 8 is expected to address the climate change issue again, this time with the so-called “Outreach Five” leaders of developing nations, including China and India.