Although failure to reach an agreement could represent a setback to efforts to secure a new UN climate pact, wealthy northern hemisphere G8 countries did issue a statement saying they were committed to reaching a comprehensive and ambitious climate deal at the UN conference in Copenhagen in December.
The G8 leaders from the United States, Germany, Japan, France, Britain, Italy, Canada and Russia, who are holding a three day meeting in central Italy, urged other nations to join the fight against global warming. "We intend to secure our present and future prosperity by taking the lead in the fight against climate change," they said in the joint statement. "We call upon other industrialized countries and emerging economies to actively engage, consistently with the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities."
Lack of finance from wealthy nations
Indian representatives at the talks said that no deal on greenhouse gas emission reduction targets had been reached because rich countries had refused to set mid-term goals or promise finance and technology. "For any long-term goals there have to be credible mid-term goals in the range of 25-40%," said Dinesh Patnaik, a top Indian negotiator who attended Tuesday's talks, in reference to a range set by a panel of UN climate experts.
According to a draft G8 statement on Wednesday, the MEF have agreed that global temperatures should not rise by more than 2 degrees Celsius. Environmental experts say if this target is to be met, significant cuts in greenhouse gas emissions are needed. However, G8 nations have so far promised cuts in emissions that total about 10-14% below 1990 levels – far short of the "at least 40%" demanded by developing states. Tobias Muenchmeyer of environmental group Greenpeace, says: "If this is now the result of the G8 talks, that would be really shocking". He believes G8 nations needed to set tough 2020 goals for themselves and promise finance for developing states.
MEF leaders are due to meet on the sidelines of the 2009 L’Aquila Summit on Thursday to review the climate negotiations and many climate campaigners see the talks as a chance of breaking the stalemate over sharing the burden of cutting greenhouse gas emissions in what could be a mini-blueprint for the UN treaty.
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