Divisions emerge over G8 climate change goals

By David Blair in Rusutsu, Hokkaido Island
Last Updated: 12:01pm BST 09/07/2008

Bitter disagreements between rich and poor countries over climate change have emerged into the open as China and India refused to adopt the G8's goal of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 50 per cent.

This aim was adopted by the world's eight wealthiest nations, including America, during the G8 summit on Japan's northern island of Hokkaido.

Developing nations don't want to hamper growth
When China, India and the leaders of six other large economies joined the G8 for the gathering's final day, they pointedly declined to do the same.
Because America has made action by India and China the crucial condition for curbing its own greenhouse gas emissions, their stance casts doubt over the value of the G8's agreement.
The developing countries argue that rich, industrialised nations have caused global warming through their carbon emissions over the last century. This gives them a special responsibility to act.
Meanwhile, developing countries do not want to hamper their own future economic growth by signing up to binding cuts in greenhouse gases.
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One president of a developing country told the G8 during a closed session: "My country has a great many people living in poverty. They all need support in health, sanitation and basic needs. So we cannot accept the introduction of measures which may hinder our economic growth. If we are going to accept these measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, this must be linked to sustainable growth."
The joint declaration by the G8 and the other major economic powers, including China and India, called climate change "one of the great global challenges of our time" and endorsed a "long term global goal for emission reductions". But it failed to specify what this would be or when it might occur.
A global agreement to deal with climate change, embracing all the largest economies, remains as elusive as ever.
The worth of the G8's own agreement was called into question when Yasuo Fukuda, Japan's prime minister and the summit's chairman, appeared not to know the base year for calculating the agreed 50 per cent reduction in carbon emissions.
Asked whether this cut would be from 1990 levels, Mr Fukuda replied: "This 50 per cent reduction is 50 per cent in the light of the recent situation. Various numbers are suggested as the base year and these may change at any given moment."
The prime minister added: "I don't think there's any confusion with regard to this."
Environmentalists condemned his statement as evidence of a high level muddle that undermined the G8's deal on climate change.
Tom Sharman, from ActionAid, said that Mr Fukuda's words showed the "supposed breakthrough on climate change has descended into farce".