Japan urges bold G8 targets for emission cuts

Times Of India , Sunday, May 25, 2008
Correspondent : Staff Report
KOBE: Japan urged rich countries on Sunday to take the lead in the fight against global warming by setting bold national targets to cut greenhouse gas emissions by well over 50 percent by 2050.

Ministers and representatives from the Group of Eight advanced nations and major emerging countries gathered in Kobe, western Japan, are trying to build momentum for UN-led climate change talks, an issue to be taken up at a July leaders' summit.

But wide gaps exist both within the G8 and between rich and poorer nations over how to share the burden for fighting climate change, blamed for droughts, rising seas and more intense storms.

"To halve global emissions (by 2050), we as developed countries need to take the initiative by setting a target well above 50 percent," Japanese Environment Minister Ichiro Kamoshita said in a speech on the second day of the gathering.

About 190 nations have agreed to negotiate by the end of 2009 a successor treaty to the Kyoto pact, which binds 37 advanced nations to cut emissions by an average of 5 per cent below 1990 levels by 2008-12.

G8 leaders agreed last year in Germany to consider seriously a goal to halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, a proposal favored by Germany, France, Britain, Italy, Japan and Canada.

"It is also important for global emissions to peak out in the next 10 to 20 years to reach the long-term target, and I hope that a shared view will be come out of the (G8) summit," Kamoshita said.

Developing countries, though, are putting priority on growth and balking at targets, while complaining that the United States, which together with China is a top emitter, is not doing enough.

Japan is currently debating its own national target, and domestic media have said it would announce in June a goal of reducing emissions by 60-80 per cent by mid-century.

FOOTING THE BILL

Big emerging economies also want rich countries to help finance the clean energy technologies they need to cut emissions.

Japan has pledged to pay $10 billion over five years to support developing countries' fight against climate change and is aiming to create a new multilateral fund with the United States and Britain. Now Washington and Tokyo want other donors to take part too.

"It is vital to restrain the speed of increase in emissions by developing countries, where emissions are increasing especially rapidly," Kamoshita said. "Incentives are needed to support developing countries' activities to reduce emissions."

Kamoshita said environment taxes and carbon trade schemes were "efficient and effective" ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and noted Japan was now discussing whether to introduce a cap and trade system of its own.

"It is necessary to put a price on carbon and to pay a cost for carbon emissions, so that each bears responsibility for the carbon one emits," he said.

"Economic measures such environment taxes and emission trading systems are efficient and effective tools for this."

A working panel organized by Japan's Environment Ministry, earlier this month drafted four options for a carbon trading scheme, but industries such as steel remain opposed out of fear it will reduce their global competitiveness.

Kamoshita also called for a global network for research and information exchange on creating a low carbon society and proposed that the environment ministers meet again in the autumn to follow up on discussions in a post-summit "Kobe Initiative".

 
SOURCE : Times Of India, Saturday, 25 May 2008
 


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