Miliband calls on rich countries to make firm offers on cutting CO2

Ed Miliband urges the US to clarify its position ahead of a major economies forum in London
John Vidal, environment editor
guardian.co.uk, Friday 16 October 2009 13.51 BST
Britain has ramped up the pressure on the US and other countries to come up with firm targets and commitments to reduce carbon emissions to ensure a new international climate change treaty can be agreed in December in Copenhagen.
Speaking ahead of a two day meeting of the world's 17 largest economies in London, climate change and energy secretary Ed Miliband called on the US to clarify its position.
"We are narrowing the gap [between countries]. China needs to make a substantial contribution. It's important that the US makes as much progress as possible. They must come to Copenhagen with a clear sense of what they want to do.
"Different countries are at different stages. We do need developed countries' numbers but also developing country actions. There is no solution to climate change without developing country actions," he said.
Miliband said that global emissions were presently about 50 gigatonnes of C02 a year but these need to reduce to 20Gt by 2050 to hold temperature increases to 2C and avoid catastrophic climate change.
"We need to reduce emissions to about 44Gt by 2020 and 35Gt by 2030. We already have offers on the table to get to 48Gt by 2020," he said.
The major economies forum (Mef) which starts this weekend will cover most of the issues now deadlocked in the UN climate talks but it is not an official part of the negotiations. But with just five days of formal talks left before negotiators and politicians go to Copenhagen to thrash out a final deal, the Mef is seen as an essential forum for governments to prepare their positions.
Brazil this week became the latest major developing country to propose emission cuts, suggesting it could cap its greenhouse gas emissions at 2005 levels by 2020. "We can reach 2020 with levels similar to those of 2005, even with economic growth of 4% annually," said environment minister Carlos Minc.
It follows India, China, Indonesia and Mexico, which have all indicated they are prepared to pass national legislation to curb emissions.
Asked whether the developing countries have done enough to fulfil their sirde of the bargain, Miliband said: "Numbers are essential at Copenhagen. We are going all out to get them. The most important thing is the mid term actions, [ie 2020]. Targets for 2050 are important but it's more important to have near term targets," said Miliband.
However, there is little prospect that the US will go to Copenhagen with firm figures and proposals because the domestic legislation that it needs to pass is held up in Congress. President Obama has indicated that the US will need more time, potentially forcing the talks into 2010.
Also expected to be discussed in London will be the size and form of the financial package to be offered by industrialised countries to developing countries to help them to adapt to climate change. Britain has proposed $100bn a year from the international community, but developing countries expect far more.
The 17 major economies participating are Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, the EU, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Russia, South Africa, the UK, and United States.
The EU and the US have insisted that most countries agree to curb emissions, even though developing countries are not historically responsible for climate change. The poorest countries in the world would not be obliged to cut emissions.