G8 struggles to persuade China, India on climate

Reuters ^ | Tue Jul 7, 2009 4:22pm EDT | Alister Doyle and Krittivas Mukherjee

[MyTwoCopperCoins]

ROME, July 7 (Reuters) - Rich nations sought to persuade China and India on Tuesday to agree to a goal of halving world greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 at a summit of major economies in Italy later this week.

Environment ministers or senior officials from the 17-member Major Economies Forum (MEF) met in Rome, trying to end deadlock over a declaration that could be a step towards a new U.N. climate pact due to be agreed in Copenhagen in December.

"Positions have not shifted," a delegate said of the talks, called at the last minute to help leaders agree a united front on climate change on Thursday in L'Aquila, Italy, during a Group of Eight summit.

China and India have been opposed to a goal of halving world greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 as part of a declaration by MEF nations, which account for 80 percent of world greenhouse gas emissions.

The G8 countries -- the United States, Japan, Russia, Germany, Britain, France, Italy and Canada -- adopted a "vision" of a 50 percent cut in global emissions by 2050 last year and want major developing nations to sign up too.

But developing nations say the rich are to blame for most emissions from burning greenhouse gases since the Industrial Revolution and must set deep 2020 goals for cutting their own emissions before asking for help with 2050 goals.

[MyTwoCopperCoins]

UPDATE 1

* Rich urge poor to accept halving of emissions

* "Strong resistance" from China - Berlusconi

(Recasts, updates throughout Reuters.com)

[j. earl carter]

If I were China, I’d just agree to anything that didn’t take effect until 2050. The global warming fad will be long forgotten by then, and nobody will care when you renege on the deal.

[LegendHasIt]

Pretty sad day when China and India show more common sense and desire for self preservation than every other major nation in the world.

Global temperatures have fallen by a higher percentage than the Gorebal Warming idiots said they would RISE by now.

[rawcatslyentist]

Awwww, c'mom China and India. Amerikkka's doin it. Don't you want to be cool and do it too?

Let's all bankrupt the global economy together!

Thank You Satan 1:50

Revelations 13:3 And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death

[ZULU]

Hope they have a major quake again there and the G8 idiots are sent directly to the hell they so richly merit.

[steelyourfaith]

 

Beam me to Planet Gore !

[depressed in 06]

It is a sad day when China can be considered the leader of the free and sane world.

[GraceG]