Britain to urge US to set climate goal

[cal04]

· Bush has responsibility to world, Miliband will say
· Pressure grows ahead of this week's G8 summit

Britain will today step up the pressure on George Bush to commit himself at this week's G8 summit to a specific target on cutting greenhouse gas emissions. David Miliband, the environment secretary, will travel to Washington to warn that the US has a responsibility to save the world from "a climate change implosion", just as it had a responsibility to save Europe from fascism in the 20th century.

He will describe President Bush's speech last week as a first step forward, but will pointedly say that 2007 is the year of decision. Mr Bush's speech was welcomed overall by Britain, but criticised by campaigners who feared it was calculated to disrupt moves towards a global deal on emissions. Mr Bush suggested that it would be possible to defer until 2008 talks on a UN framework to replace the Kyoto targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, which expire in 2012.

Britain, along with Germany, the G8 summit host, is trying to persuade, rather than browbeat, Mr Bush to go further in the communique due to be published by the G8 members in the Baltic resort of Heiligendamm on Friday.

Mr Miliband, reporting to a Commons environment committee, said: "The discussion that needs to go on now is the extent to which the president wants to be specific now about a stabilisation goal." Germany has been pressing for a goal of increases in world temperature of no more than 2C by 2050. China has rejected the proposal as lacking a scientific basis.

http://environment.guardian.co.uk/climatechange/story/0,,2095531,00.html

[pretty_lies]

1. With All That Political Capital From Supporting The War...

...I'm sure that Britain will be able to influence the United States on this issue.

Yeah.