G8 climate draft shows U.S. blocking mid-term targets - Reuters

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

G8 climate draft shows U.S. blocking mid-term targets
Mon Jun 2, 2008 6:55am EDT

LONDON (Reuters) - The United States is blocking efforts
to get next month's Group of Eight summit to agree targets
for cutting carbon emissions over the next 20 years,
according to a draft of the declaration seen by Reuters.

The draft, dated May 5, shows that Washington wants to make
the Major Emitters grouping set up by U.S. President George
W. Bush last year the main forum for climate action, taking
the initiative away from the smaller group of rich nations.

"We would be prepared to address mid-term goals in the G8
only if the Major Economies Leaders Statement does not do so
and only in a way that points to the need for commitments
from major emerging economies," said a U.S. comment in the
draft.

In the draft for the July 7-9 summit at Hokkaido in Japan,
the U.S. endorses expansion of civil nuclear power as a low
carbon technology and says biofuels are not the main cause
of the recent surge in world food prices.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSL0253632320080602

[tom_paine]

1. Shocked! I am shocked!