6 May 2007Canberra
Japan, the United States and other members of the Group of Eight countries are considering an appeal for international negotiations on measures to counteract global warming after 2013 - a period not covered by the 1997 Kyoto Protocol - according to a draft of a declaration to be issued at the G8 summit in Germany next month.
The draft document, obtained by Kyodo News, titled "Growth and Responsibility in the World Economy," expresses deep concern about climate change and says the G8 states "call on all parties to launch negotiations on a comprehensive agreement at the UN Climate Change Conference in Indonesia in December 2007."
The document contains numerical targets in line with demands by the European Union. It states, for instance, "We are committed to taking strong and early action to tackle climate change in order to contribute our fair share to limit global warming to 2 C."
It adds, "This will require global greenhouse gas emissions to peak within the next 10 to 15 years, followed by substantial global emission reductions of around 50 per cent by 2050 compared to 1990 levels."
