Vienna: Industrial nations shy away from stiff 2020 goals - Reuters

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

Industrial nations shy away from stiff 2020 goals
Fri Aug 31, 2007 9:27AM EDT

By Alister Doyle, Environment Correspondent

VIENNA, Aug 31 (Reuters) - Industrial nations were
shying away from fixing stiff 2020 guidelines for
greenhouse gases cuts at U.N. talks on Friday in what
environmentalists said would be a vote for "dangerous"
climate change.

A draft text at the U.N. talks dropped a demand that
developed nations should be "guided" by a need for
steep cuts in greenhouse gases of 25 to 40 percent
below 1990 levels by 2020 in working out a long-term
fight against global warming.

"There are a limited number of problems still with the
text," said Yvo de Boer, the head of the U.N. Climate
Change Secretariat. He predicted a compromise by the
end of the Aug. 27-31 talks among 1,000 delegates
with "something for everyone".

-snip-

"The lower the stabilisation level (of greenhouse gases)
achieved, the lower the consequent damages," the draft
said. It mentions the option of 25-40 percent cuts but
drops a previous reference to them as an indicative
guide for future work.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSL3069978520070831